Universal access to digital IDs is achievable with these five approaches, 17 Rooms says

A United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) is 16.9, which aims to “provide legal identity for all” by 2030.

Digital IDs are even more valuable, argues David Eaves and Luanna Roncaratti, as, unlike physical documents, “well-governed digital IDs” can be harder to lose, steal or destroy. Eaves is co-deputy director and associate professor of digital government at the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose, while Roncaratti is deputy secretary of digital government at Brazil’s Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services.

The authors point to Ukraine, where war has meant citizens have turned to digital IDs especially when physical documents have been lost or abandoned, and to flood-prone Brazil, as real-world examples of the power of digital IDs.

An estimated 850 million people around the world lack legal identification but with technology the goal of achieving universal access to digital IDs by 2030 is achievable, the commentary argues. There is demand too, as digital IDs promote financial inclusion, increase economic participation, and help to check benefit fraud. McKinsey has projected that digital ID initiatives could boost a country’s GDP by three to 13 percent in 2030.

Supply is a challenge, but the Modular Open Source Identity Platform (MOSIP) gets a shout-out as a solution to digital ID implementation when low costs and efficiency is needed. The flexibility and customizability of MOSIP is also advantageous as the authors observe that a “one-size-fits-all approach” is “neither practical nor desirable” since ID systems must be tailored to a country’s needs and cultural norms.

Absent legal frameworks for a standardized global approach, robust safeguards are necessary too to prevent potential misuse and abuse. A partnership between the Center for Sustainable Development at Brookings and The Rockefeller Foundation, 17 Rooms convened senior policymakers, civil society leaders and experts on digital infrastructure to develop strategies for improving and expanding digital ID systems.

Five approaches for designing reliable digital ID systems are proposed. Firstly, digital IDs are more trusted when they are testable, tailored to individual preferences, and designed to minimize data collection. The authors cite Taiwan as an example, where users disclose personal information selectively – a practice known as meronymity – via secure verification methods.

Secondly, governments must cooperate with civil society partners to help identify potential issues early, and to develop “compelling” use cases. Jamaica’s experience with introducing its digital ID is cited as a cautionary tale since the public there have low trust towards the initiative exacerbated by a lack of engagement with civil society organizations from the central authorities.

Third, reducing the costs of digital IDs is important especially for countries with more limited resources. Open source solutions are favored here while off-the-shelf systems might offer less flexibility they are cost-effective. Fourth, establishing more robust global technical and governance standards is vital, with the UNDP’s DPI safeguards, as part of the Global Digital Compact, seen as providing a “solid foundation.” Practical toolkits are recommended here, as a way to “translate” guidelines to ensure effective implementation.

Finally, 17 Rooms suggested sustained international support would be needed to develop and maintain digital ID systems for emerging economies, while civil-society organizations would need training to monitor implementation. International donors could boost sustainability by directing resources towards strengthening open-source software.

“The SDGs recognize legal identity as the foundation of societal inclusion and economic opportunity,” the commentary concludes. “We now understand the key strategies that governments, civil-society groups, companies, and funders must adopt to achieve universal access to digital IDs.”

Article Topics

17 Rooms  |  digital ID  |  digital identity  |  legal identity  |  MOSIP (Modular Open Source Identity Platform)  |  SDG 16.9  |  United Nations