MOSIP says fully aligned with UNDP’s DPI Safeguards initiative

The Modular Open-Source Identity Platform (MOSIP) says it effectively respects all the foundational safeguard principles recommended by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in supporting counties in the rollout of their national digital ID systems.

MOSIP says proof of this alignment lies in results of a recently conducted study titled “DPI Safeguards: Building a Safe and Inclusive Digital Future, How MOSIP Aligns with the Universal DPI Safeguards.”

The 51-page publication is written by four authors, three of which are from MOSIP and the other from a partner organization, Artha-India Research Advisors, which played a major role in the research.

“Our findings highlight strong convergence on foundational principles, including privacy protection, minimal data collection, and user control over personal information, underpinned by transparency, accountability, and active multi-stakeholder participation,” the MOSIP report’s executive summary reads.

In order to translate these principles into practice, the platform said it integrates capabilities such as differential privacy and zero-knowledge encryption to reinforce data security, while advancing interoperability and decentralization through its modular open-source architecture and contributions to global standards.

MOSIP’s foundational ID infrastructure is increasingly being adopted by countries around the world. As of this year, a total of 26 nations are either deploying a MOSIP-based digital ID on a full scale, or conducting a pilot, with a majority of the countries being in Africa.

“A preliminary mapping exercise shows that of the 43 recommendations across 9 principles of the Framework for technology providers, MOSIP’s platform, processes, and practices align with over 30,” the non-profit open-source platform declared.

Despite its safeguards compliance performance already showing a positive score, MOSIP pledged that it will continue to work with partners implementing digital ID programs based on its platform to “upgrading software to comply with global best practices and standards.”

It has also taken a number of forward-looking commitments in order to maintain and strengthen that adherence. Among other things, MOSIP has pledged to conduct regular third-party audits of its codebase and deployments to ensure accountability; expand its global community of developers, researchers, and civil society actors to co-create safeguard enhancements; support policy frameworks that uphold DPI safeguards, including data protection laws and ethical AI standards, as well as adhere to global standards for identity systems, ensuring compatibility and ethical data exchange across borders.

The UNDP’s DPI Safeguards Framework was discussed this week in New York when the 50-in-5 campaign held an event on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 80) to celebrate new milestones and welcome more members. The campaign aims to support 50 countries of the Global South in the implementation of safe, inclusive and interoperable DPI by 2028.

Last year, the UNDP organized an event in Nairobi, Kenya, to discuss ways of advancing the implementation of the DPI Safeguards agenda.

Article Topics

best practices  |  biometrics  |  digital ID  |  digital public infrastructure  |  MOSIP (Modular Open Source Identity Platform)  |  national ID  |  UNDP