Women in Identity research sheds light on cost of ID exclusion

Identity exclusion is costing businesses money. The same problem is causing misery among real people, and in some cases preventing them from exercising their rights. It is hamstringing government programs. But the cost to businesses is historically poorly understood, and can motivate them to contribute meaningfully to a change for the better.

A new research report on “The Economic Impact of ID Exclusion” from Women in Identity lays bare how the difficulty people have proving who they are burdens all kinds of organizations, including for-profit companies, and gives them incentive to improve inclusion.

The launch of the report included a webinar featuring report author Professor Edgar Whitley of the London School of Economics and a panel of subject matter experts sharing their perspectives on how to understand and apply it.

The research is part of the work WiD is doing to formulate its ID Code of Conduct.

Women in Identity Board Member Dr. Louise Maynard-Atem described the organization’s mission and approach, and Rola Turk, senior director of Identity Lifecycle Management & Intelligence at RBC and Canadian Ambassador at Women In Identity provided an overview of how the ID Code of Conduct contributes to that mission. Gisselle Cerezo, global VP of Cyber & Intelligence Solutions at Mastercard and U.S. Ambassador at Women In Identity explained her company’s motivation in sponsoring the Code of Conduct.

Whitley shared the main findings and key insights from the research. One of the most important is that identity exclusion affects many people who have actually been issued an ID credential, on top of the hundreds of millions who haven’t. Those who are on what Whitley describes as the “unhappy path” may be unable to complete a transaction. Even if they are able to complete the process, they are likely to incur extra costs in time and money to do so. Widening the “happy path” will not only make things easier for more people, but could also reduce the onboarding costs to the business, and even increase its customer base.

Aphra Corcoran, director of Cyber Security Services at KPMG Canada, gave the consultancy perspective on how businesses and governments can put the report’s recommendations into practice, and Laura Barrowcliff, global head of GBG Trust and Board Member at Women In Identity, offered practical advice for companies based on her experience within the industry.

Article Topics

digital identity  |  ID Code of Conduct  |  identity exclusion  |  legal identity  |  Women in Identity