Efforts to provide digital ID for access to govt services advance

As countries work to facilitate the way their citizens, both home and abroad, can access public services or complete online tasks, the provision of digital ID or its adoption constitute key concerns to be addressed. In this light, Vietnam has just issued draft rules on digital ID registration and verification for citizens including those living abroad to facilitate their access to online services. In Azerbaijan, the facial recognition function of a cloud-based digital signature application will be used to facilitate identification of individuals and legal entities. The United Arab Emirates’ digital ID (UAE Pass), authorities say, has proven vital for citizens’ access to public services, with more than 7.2 million of the IDs issued in the course of last year. In South Korea, a deal was recently concluded to ensure that citizens abroad who do not own Korean mobile devices can have seamless access to domestic digital government services using online verification, through an inter-agency initiative. Nigerians in the diaspora, meanwhile, have decried the lack of support in complying with a government directive to have their digital IDs linked with their bank profiles. They were required to have done this as of March 1.

Facial recognition app to ID individuals, businesses in Azerbaijan

The facial recognition feature of a digital signature app “SiMA imza,”  launched by the State Tax Service of Azerbaijan, will be useful in identifying persons as well as heads of legal bodies for tax administration purposes, per a report by the country’s state news agency.

The app has been in place since October last year, but some modifications have been made to it, including facial recognition and liveness detection, to facilitate online tax registration by heads of legal business entities.

Once a person completes an online application process, a biometric verification is required for them to digitally sign the application in a move that improves the registration process of commercial entities, the outlet mentions.

Vietnam draft rules for digital ID verification by local, foreign entities

The draft copy of a legislation that will regulate how Vietnamese citizens both at home and abroad complete digital ID authentication processes has been released to the public.

Per Vietnam Briefing, the text labelled “Decree on Regulations on Electronic Identification and Authentication” was released by the Ministry of Public Security.

The draft law, which is expected to come into force on July 1, requires that individuals use a digital ID account to log into the VNeID mobile application to access a variety of government services.

The draft categorizes Levels 1 and 2 digital ID accounts for individuals and organizations, and both levels require the provision of specific biographical and biometric information by the user.

Vietnam’s digital transformation is on the move with the PM talking recently about implementing a biometric online immigration system.

UAE digital ID sees 57 percent increase in adoption

Authorities in the UAE say over 7.2 million people now use the country’s official digital ID (UAE Pass) to access public and private sector services, and there is hope for more adoption in the course of this year.

With the ID, users do not need to carry along physical ID credentials to prove their identity, making it easier for them to access services, WAM reports, citing a statement by Majed Sultan Al Mesmar, director-general of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA).

The official says the ID allows access to over 35 different types of documents and more than 8.8 million of them have already been issued, with the possibility for more happening, given the linking of the system with services of private sector entities.

He adds that the system has also enabled the verification of more than 250, 000 documents, and that the government services portal has had more than 17.5 million users as of 2023.

Access eased for Koreans abroad without domestic mobile devices

Following a recently signed business agreement, South Koreans living abroad will soon be able to access their home government services through a digital ID verification process, even if they don’t have Korean mobile devices.

According to a press release from the Korea Communications Commission, the project is to “seamlessly use domestic digital services through online identity verification, including an electronic passport and information on overseas stay, with no need to visit public offices in Korea or diplomatic offices in person.”

The project, which enjoys collaboration from a number of government ministries, will begin on a pilot in the second half of this year, targeting about 2.4 million Koreans abroad who have resident registration numbers.

Officials say the scope of the project will be expanded over time.

Article Topics

Azerbaijan  |  biometrics  |  digital government  |  digital ID  |  identity verification  |  South Korea  |  UAE  |  Vietnam  |  VNeID