APIs for IDV key to digital transformation in Pakistan and Iran

Pakistan and Iran both have been making strides towards digital transformation, with their national initiatives playing a crucial role. In Pakistan, the National Database & Registration Authority (NADRA) recently launched the beta version of Nishan Pakistan to empower startups and entrepreneurs by leveraging the country’s digital identity infrastructure. Through an application programming interface (API) authentication gateway, Nishan Pakistan provides secure, contactless biometric verification that enables business entities to easily incorporate themselves into NADRA data. This initiative is expected to revolutionize the market as it opens up diverse application areas ranging from customer identification to creating new markets within the country.

Similarly, Iran’s authentication API, Unique Identification (U-ID) platform, which was developed by Binesh Houshmand Nasl Phoror, is at the forefront of digital identity and biometrics technology. In addition, it serves as a secured digital identity platform for Android and iOS to have immediate digital authentication that has been made with high precision and accuracy. Its application has been widespread within Iran’s law enforcement community, evolving into one of the most important components of the national digital infrastructure. Both platforms highlight the growing significance of digital identity in driving economic growth and societal transformation respectively in their respective countries.

Iran’s web service authentication API

The UID, an Iranian start-up focusing on digital ID and biometrics, has developed a real-time digital authentication solution to enhance security and efficiency in identity verification. The platform is highly compatible with Iran’s digital infrastructure, especially in collaborative efforts with Law Enforcement Forces. AI-based identity authentication, liveness detection, and offline password-less digital ID storage are the main features of the platform. This has led to a reduction of know your customer (KYC) costs, eliminating inefficiencies, and improving the user experience. Its implementation has been instrumental in the country’s “Police Smartening” initiatives that are aimed at modernizing law enforcement through the use of advanced technology. Government departments have already started using this service, where initial positive feedback about its accuracy and safety has been reported.

Nishan Pakistan

Launched by the NADRA, Nishan Pakistan is an innovative platform aimed at supporting entrepreneurial ideas and providing safe biometric authentication services. The program functions as a hub for all digital activities in the country, including desktop and contactless biometric verification linked to data acquisition. To address such issues, Nishan Pakistan provides an API gateway and sandbox environment, which significantly facilitates its integration into existing business systems. It is still in beta testing and the user acceptance phase, with encouraging feedback likely to boost its uptake across the expansive digital market of Pakistan.

Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces and UID, a digital ID and biometrics firm, have a collaboration agreement for UID’s liveness detection authentication platform. The agency’s ongoing police smartening effort, which involves the use of advanced intelligence systems, will be bolstered by the use of this facial recognition technology. The head of the law enforcement forces, UID officials, and the IT department signed the biometrics contract during an event hosted by the Presidential Innovation and Prosperity Fund. Users receive a national activation number and record a short selfie video as part of the platform’s onboarding procedure. This video is subsequently validated with over 95 percent accuracy using UID’s liveness recognition technology. Instant offline authentication is made possible by the safe storage of the user’s digital ID information on their Android or iOS smartphone following verification.

Comparative analysis of Nishan Pakistan and Iran’s UID

By leveraging biometric data, Iran’s UID service and Pakistan’s Nishan platform both aim to enhance security and expedite identity verification. These initiatives offer secure and efficient authentication services to the corporate and government sectors and are intricately connected to the corresponding national digital infrastructures.

As for Nishan Pakistan, it works out an inclusive API gateway that backs up multiple biometric verification options, including contactless biometric verification; however, UID in Iran stresses the technology of liveness detection in its facial recognition on online background, especially in law enforcement situations. Unlike UID’s application, which is concentrated on law enforcement and government agencies, Nishan Pakistan’s approach is more API-driven for businesses and startups to be able to facilitate wider adoption while ensuring convenience, whereas UID’s application is more centralized. Additionally, Nishan Pakistan aims to enhance user experience through easy integration. with the existing systems, while UID focuses on offline authentication through advanced encryption techniques catering to different user needs, thus indicating a divergence between accessibility and application scope.

Early-stage challenges and comparison to other countries

In its early stage authentication API, the law enforcement forces in Iran started using this platform of biometric authentication through UID. However, some challenges, including the adoption of high technology among different infrastructures and social acceptance of digital identity, continue to affect its operations. Start-ups and enterprises are increasingly demonstrating their interest in Nishan Pakistan. Some of the prime obstacles, however, involve bridging digital literacy divides and creating a strong foundation for infrastructure.

Similarly, compared to other global programs, like Aadhaar in India and the e-residency in Estonia, both programs, Nishan Pakistan and UID of Iran, focus on the aim of providing secure digital identity systems. However, while Aadhaar and e-residency have achieved significant global prominence, Iran and Pakistan’s programs are still in the early stages of adoption.

Digital identity platforms Nishan Pakistan and Iran’s UID are both two early-stage programs that are on their way to becoming digitally transformed. These projects may still be inexperienced; however, they could contribute significantly towards security improvement, economic development, and global digital public infrastructure.

Article Topics

API  |  biometric authentication  |  biometrics  |  digital identity  |  digital public infrastructure  |  identity management  |  identity verification  |  Iran  |  NADRA  |  Nishan Pakistan  |  Pakistan