Nepal MPs want assurance on national ID system data security

Lawmakers in Nepal have been asking important questions regarding the data security architecture of the national ID card program being implemented in the country.

Speaking recently during a meeting of the Committee on State Order and Good Governance, the people’s representatives raised concerns about a number of issues including delays in the implementation of the project, data security as well as challenges with the overall management of the system, Ekantipur reports.

In the course of the meeting, the legislators sought to understand the details of how the personal fingerprint and face biometric data being collected for the national ID program is stored and managed, in terms of who has access to it, what the data security measures are and the remedial steps that can be taken in the event of a data breach. Biometric data is collected at an in-appointment after the biographic data has been submitted online.

The MPs appeared to have become more worried when during the exchange, the Director General of the National Identity Card and Registration Department, Yuvraj Kattel, spoke about the challenges of employing skilled engineers to handle information security systems issues for lack of financial and human resources.

One lawmaker, Hridayram Thani, in response, urged the state to channel more resources to such important and “high-priority” technological projects. He said with the national ID card system provided by French company Idemia with a centralized database, it could be dangerous should the system suffer a cyber-attack.

Another MP, Durga Rai, who took the floor, expressed deep concerns about the lack of staff in the IT department, insisting that the government should do a lot more to strengthen its data security mechanism.

Other lawmakers asked to get details about the rollout of the national ID card, its availability in difficult-to-access parts of the country, and concerns about the collection and safety of the biometric data needed for issuance of the ID card.

Over all, the questions and comments from the lawmakers were aimed at understanding the level of implementation of the ID project and to get assurances about what measures are being taken to guarantee the safety of personal data and privacy.

In terms of reach, the MPs proposed that measures should be deployed in order to facilitate access to the ID card, marking it particularly reachable for persons living with disabilities.

Home Minister, Ramesh Akhtar, told the parliamentarians that while the government is pushing for the adoption of the ID card which is mandatory and vital in enabling citizens get access to a variety of services, it is also taking firm measures to secure the system and make it function to the optimum.

Meanwhile, Kattel gave updates about card issuance, saying over six million ID cards have already been printed, while just two million of them have been distributed to their owners.

Lawmakers in Nepal have generally been vocal about the national ID project which has faced several challenges already. Last year, they urged the government to promote stronger adoption of the card before making a mandatory tool to access government services.

In the meantime, an article on Medium emphasizes the importance of personal data protection, and calls out the Nepalese government’s Department of Transport Management (DOTM) for publishing certain personal details such as citizenship numbers on public platforms.

The author believes citizenship numbers, which are unique and lifelong attributes, must be protected, citing some examples from countries with better data protection experiences.

Article Topics

biometric data  |  biometrics  |  data privacy  |  data protection  |  digital identity  |  identity management  |  national ID  |  Nepal