Digital ID success at scale hinges on tech, governance, adoption: IN Groupe

A study by French identity provider IN Groupe has established that digital identity systems succeed at scale only when countries embrace the right technology, have the appropriate governance framework, and ensure ecosystem adoption and multi-sector deployment early in the implementation process.

According to a white paper detailing IN Groupe’s findings, technology alone is not enough to build mature digital ID systems that are trusted, inclusive, and scalable across different segments of society. Leadership is also a critical factor.

The publication, titled “Digital identity: Infrastructure that changes everything; the secret of countries that have achieved scale,” highlights three major factors that distinguish countries that succeed with large-scale digital ID projects from those that fail.

For those succeeding, they have ensured that the technology they adopted actually works; that their infrastructure is trusted through solid governance supported by a strong regulatory framework; and that their ecosystems are fully activated to generate multiple use-cases that can drive adoption.

As stated in the white paper, only 33 percent of the 210 countries or territories studied by IN Groupe have reached the global maturity metric and leader status meaning they have successfully built fully operational identity stacks.

Thirty-six percent of countries are still in the nascent stage, with no functional digital identity system and no mechanisms for legal redress, while 18 countries surveyed run digital ID systems without dedicated legal frameworks.

The paper presents a full identity stack as having five key interdependent layers, namely an identity register, credential issuance, authentication service, consent and data management, and an adoption ecosystem.

“The difference between countries who succeed and others is the ability to connect digital identity to real-world use cases through banking, telecoms, healthcare, education, and public sector deployment,” the company wrote in an introductory statement to the white paper. It describes ecosystem adoption as a “hidden accelerator” that drives digital ID maturity.

The paper also demystifies certain digital ID myths and proves that assumptions can be dangerous in ID project implementation.

One of such false assumptions, according to the paper, is that the availability of money means a country will automatically succeed with its digital ID project. The findings show that 13 low or middle-income countries, including Ethiopia, Nigeria, and the Philippines, have attained leader status with their digital ID programs, meaning digital ID governance choices matter more than wealth.

Another lesson the paper highlights is that countries seeking to reach full maturity must close the trust gap and create the right mechanisms for legal redress. Other tips for success include designing the system for interoperability, both nationally and across borders; opting for institutional choices that strengthen digital sovereignty; ensuring inclusion-by-design; building trust through architectural design; retaining architectural sovereignty; and choosing strategic funding models.

According to IN Groupe, countries must consider building systems that are sovereign by design, inclusive by intention, and interoperable by default, because the infrastructure they build today will shape inclusion, economic participation, and the relationship between the citizen and the state in the future.

Another recent report from IN Groupe explored the risks of credential attacks on workforce identity management.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  digital ID infrastructure  |  digital identity  |  identity management  |  IN Groupe