Digital wallet updates from diverse providers highlight decentralized storage trend

As digital identities based on different models become gradually more widespread around the world, companies and governments alike are working towards the development of digital wallets aimed at facilitating this shift. Following this trend, digital ID technology provider Northern Block has received a conformance certification from the Digital Identity Laboratory of Canada (IDLab) for its digital wallet, Australian NSW Digital Minister Victor Dominello announced an update of the country’s Beyond Digital strategy, and Apple teased the (delayed) upcoming release of a new wallet feature adding digital IDs to devices in a future iOS 15 and watchOS 8 update.

IDLab confirms Northern Block’s digital ID conformity standards

A digital wallet from Northern Block intended to support self-sovereign identity has been confirmed compliant with the Aries Interop Profile (AIP) 1.0.

Northern Block first released its suite of SSI products, dubbed NB Orbit, last February.

Alongside the development of NB Orbit, Northern Block also continued its open source-based work at the Trust over IP Foundation, the DIACC, and Hyperledger Aries.

The latter, in particular, is an interoperable tool kit designed to enable companies and individuals to develop tools for the creation, transmission, and storage of verifiable digital credentials.

“We are part of a vibrant digital identity ecosystem that knows that digital sovereignty can only be achieved through open sourced auditable systems,” says Northern Block CEO Mathieu Glaude. “We’re proud to support and contribute to it,”

In fact, the Canadian government, as well as some European ones, have already selected Hyperledger Aries to develop their digital ID solutions.

The technology was also recently evaluated by IDLab, which tested the NB Orbit mobile wallet on both iOS and Android devices. IDLab received funding from the Canadian government earlier this year to conduct testing of digital ID technologies.

“Acting as a neutral and trusted third party, the IDLab confirms conformity to technology and standards,” explains IDLab General Manager Pierre Roberge.

“Northern Block, an early user of the IDLab has successfully demonstrated the conformance of the NB Orbit mobile wallet with AiP v1, which many governments are asking for as a starting point.”

Australia updates Beyond Digital strategy

The announcement was made by New South Wales (NSW) Digital Minister Victor Dominello during an interview with iTnews at 2021 digital.nsw showcase event.

On the occasion, Dominello said decentralized credentials that give citizens control of their digital identity will play an increasingly important role in the future.

The development of digital ID in NSW received a boost when the state first launched its digital driver’s licenses program in late-2019. Adoption of the new digital ID was considerable, and by May 2021, more than three million drivers had registered for the scheme.

Now, Dominello told iTnews the state is officially updating its Beyond Digital strategy with an update of its digital driver license scheme, as well as the launch of a personalized “credential vault,” or digital wallet, capable of storing both government and private sector credentials. The wallet will store digital ID credentials as part of a shift towards decentralized storage and control by individuals, according to Dominello.

The NSW Digital Minister also added that the new plan will be implemented alongside the IDSupport program, designed to aid citizens whose identity credentials have been stolen.

Apple’s digital driver license features to be delayed to 2022

The Cupertino-based company has delayed the release of their new Wallet feature, which will enable users to add a digital copy of driver’s licenses and state IDs to iPhones and Apple Watches.

Originally scheduled for release by the end of the year for use in Arizona and Georgia, the upcoming iOS 15 and watchOS 8 feature was now delayed to early 2022, according to MacRumors.

In terms of industry deployment, Apple said in September the new feature will be initially released in selected TSA security checkpoints in U.S. airports.

Users choosing to take advantage of it will be able to authorize the sharing of the specific information requested by the TSA using the biometrics authentication methods Face ID and Touch ID.

Article Topics

Apple  |  Apple Wallet  |  biometrics  |  credentials  |  decentralized ID  |  digital ID  |  digital identity  |  digital wallets  |  IDLab  |  mDL (mobile driver's license)  |  mobile app  |  Northern Block  |  self-sovereign identity  |  standards  |  verifiable credentials