Phased rollout of Sri Lanka’s digital ID will ensure security, privacy standards

Sri Lanka’s digital ID rollout will occur in phases, with measurable security, privacy, and performance standards to build confidence through demonstrated results rather than assumptions.

Sri Lanka is moving forward with the Sri Lanka Unique Digital Identity (SLUDI) project, designed to create a biometric-based foundational digital ID. Nationwide rollout is scheduled for the third quarter of this year.

Publishing clear commitments concerning the ID’s functions, data protection measures, and accountability is critical, according to a top minister. There will be an emphasis on building local capacity for the effective governance of the system in Sri Lanka, and we will focus on transparency by publishing clear commitments on the functions and limitations of the ID system, data protection measures, and accountability at each stage of implementation, Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eranga Weeraratne said.

“Regular public awareness campaigns and stakeholder engagement sessions are planned to raise community involvement and understanding. The process will include collaboration with digital industry leaders and technical experts through structured advisory and review mechanisms, aimed at boosting the technical design, security architecture, and overall quality of implementation,” Weeraratne told Biometric Update.

The approach will be phased, absorbing measurable security, privacy, and performance benchmarks to build confidence through demonstrated results and independent verification rather than mere assumptions. “There is a focus on developing local capacity to ensure that Sri Lanka can effectively operate and govern the system with confidence,” Weeraratne noted. Sri Lanka has a major opportunity to enrich government services by adopting a modern digital identity system. “This can streamline processes, minimise fraud and administrative costs, and purge the need for repetitive identity verification by citizens across various agencies.” He also noted that a unified digital identity infrastructure would allow online access to public services, making them more efficient and transparent, thereby reducing queues, travel, and paperwork.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  digital ID  |  digital identity  |  government services  |  SL-UDI  |  Sri Lanka