Egypt pilots selfie biometrics to streamline access to digital govt services

Egypt is piloting a selfie biometric app as part of efforts to facilitate authentication processes for access to some government services.

The app, MOIEG-PASS, has been introduced through a collaboration between the Ministries of Interior and Communications and Information Technology. It is described as an innovation because it is the country’s first unified biometric authentication platform to ease access to public services.

According to an Interior Ministry announcement, users of the app will need to scan their national IDs and their face biometrics to complete authentication for a selected number of government services.

A determination will then be made about how to scale the initiative depending on the outcome of the pilot. Designed by Egyptian technology engineers, the app is said to have all features that meet international standards.

In addition to making identity authentication easier, MOIEG-PASS is also meant to enhance the personal data security of people seeking services online and make it easier for more people to access government services without necessarily visiting government offices.

The app, which is available for Android devices for a start, is expected to have iOS availability and be further integrated with more government services.

“MOIEG-PASS is designed to support official processes by enabling users to submit required information, verify requests, and track service-related actions directly from their mobile devices,” a description of the app on Google Play reads.

The push to facilitate access to digital government services is in symphony with the Egyptian government’s digital transformation agenda outlined in the country’s ICT 2030 Strategy. It is part of the digital innovation pillar of the Digital Egypt vision.

GovTech Innovation Challenge

It is also in line with this vision that the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology is running a GovTech Innovation Lab, a program which will last between three and five months and provide startups in the country with the necessary support to scale their technology.

Per the ministry, the program targets startups that intend “to address major societal challenges, develop innovative solutions, and integrate them with government services, offering citizens a seamless and holistic experience while protecting their data privacy and security.”

The objectives of the initiative are to put in place a sustainable GovTech ecosystem, facilitate access to public and private sector services, and strengthen Egypt’s digital transformation performance indicators.

In line with its digital transformation push, Egypt has engaged in initiatives in the past to boost financial inclusion and grow the digital economy through digital infrastructure development.

Article Topics

biometric authentication  |  biometrics  |  digital government  |  Egypt  |  face biometrics  |  government services  |  selfie biometrics  |  Vision 2030