How Digital IDs Can Transform Government Services

Governments around the world are digitizing how they deliver services to citizens. And yet, without a secure and reliable way for people to prove their identity online, digital transformation efforts face a considerable barrier. Whether an individual is applying for health insurance, a student loan, or unemployment insurance, government agencies must verify whether that person is who they say they are. Documents like driver’s licenses, passports, and birth certificates can prove someone’s identity in person but are much less useful online.

Digital IDs overcome this challenge by providing a single method to confirm an individual’s identity online. Moreover, digital IDs allow individuals to share pieces of information about their identity—such as age or nationality—during a transaction, rather than every data element associated with their identity. And the strong security measures of digital IDs help prevent identity fraud, a major pain point for government agencies.

Watch now for a discussion on national digital IDs, which focuses on the potential benefits and concerns surrounding this technology as well as the legal and technical barriers for use.