This Week's Latest Digital Identity Trends Around the World (October 10th)

Overview

1. united states of america:
   A North Carolina appeals court has blocked state university students and employees from using university-issued digital IDs to vote, a decision related to a new photo ID mandate.
2. England:
   IT managed services provider Xalient has partnered with identity security company SailPoint to help global enterprises strengthen network security, protect critical assets and comply with regulatory standards.
3. Nigeria:
   The government has proposed amending the law to require expatriates to obtain a National Identification Number (NIN), partly to bring expatriates into the formal tax system.
4. Europe:
   Signicat has launched the "Open Banking Hub", which offers a secure way to verify personal details through your bank account.
5. Germany:
   The government has announced plans to develop a national digital wallet for smartphones, as part of a project to enable digital identity across the EU.
6. India:
   Following the suspected leak of Aadhaar (national ID) data, the government has moved to block related websites.
7. England:
   Lloyds Banking Group has converted a £1000 million loan to biometric identity verification company Yoti into equity.
8. Bhutan:
   We joined the Global Acceptance Network (GAN) as the world's first national digital ID program.
9. Lithuania:
   RegTech company iDenfy has partnered with electronic money institution FinCause to automate the KYC process.
10. Malaysia:
    Blockchain platform Zetrix has launched an application that can digitally verify the official identity of Chinese citizens overseas.
11. Bosnia and Herzegovina:
    It plans to develop a digital identity wallet for citizens by mid-2025.
12. Papua New Guinea:
    We have begun piloting new digital IDs, wallets and online government platforms.
13. Jordan:
    We have launched digital ID activation services for Jordanians living in the US and Canada.

Details

1. United States (North Carolina):
   The North Carolina Court of Appeals has blocked students and staff at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from using their university-issued digital IDs to vote in connection with the state's new photo ID requirement law. After the State Board of Elections (which is majority Democratic) approved the university's mobile ID, the Republican National Committee and the state Republican Party sued, arguing that the law only allows for physical ID cards.
2. UK (Partnered by Xalient):
   Xalient, an IT managed services provider, has partnered with identity security company SailPoint. The collaboration combines Xalient's identity consulting services with SailPoint's integrated identity security platform to help global enterprises improve network security, protect critical assets, and comply with regulatory standards. Xalient will provide zero trust services in particular, leveraging SailPoint's Identity Security Cloud to deliver an integrated, customizable identity security solution.
3. Nigeria:
   The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has proposed amendments to the law that would require expatriates residing in the country to obtain a National Identification Number (NIN). Currently, expatriates cannot obtain this biometric digital ID. One of the main aims of the proposal is to bring expatriates into the formal taxation system. It also comes alongside a proposed Economic Stabilization Bill that aims to identify and tax expatriates working and earning income in Nigeria.
4. Europe (Signicat services):
   Signicat has launched the "Open Banking Hub", which provides a secure, consent-based way to verify personal information through bank accounts, giving consumers a wider range of identity verification options while providing businesses with greater security in verifying bank account ownership, solvency and account information. The process verifies that an individual owns a bank account and that it is legitimate, and provides integrity of data such as the account holder's name and bank account.
5. Germany:
   The German government has announced plans to develop a national digital wallet for smartphones. This is part of the European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI Wallet) project, which will enable digital identity verification across the EU. The wallet will allow secure and easy digital identity verification via smartphone for a variety of activities, including job applications, online banking and administrative procedures. It will also be possible to digitally store identity data and official documents and perform electronic signatures.
6. India:
   Following the suspected leak of Aadhaar (national ID) data, the Indian government has moved to shut down the relevant websites. The Aadhaar Act prohibits the public disclosure or sharing of personal information across any domain. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is responsible for informing the police about the sites in question. The IT Ministry said it was aware of websites exposing sensitive personal information (including Aadhaar card and PAN details) and is taking the matter seriously. The government stressed that it gives the highest priority to the safety of cybersecurity practices.
7. United Kingdom(Lloyd's Banking Group investment):
   Lloyd's Banking Group has converted a £1000 million (approximately $1900 million) loan into equity in biometric identity verification company Yoti. Yoti CEO Robin Tombs said he believes gaining the UK's largest banking group by customer number as a shareholder will help accelerate the adoption of reusable digital identities in the UK market. Yoti provides biometric identity verification, age verification and age estimation services.
8. Bhutan:
   The Kingdom of Bhutan has joined the Global Acceptance Network (GAN) as its national digital identity program¹Bhutan will be the first country to join GAN as a national ID program.
   GAN is a multi-sectoral initiative that helps make verifiable data available, trustworthy, and interoperable. It was soft launched on September 2023, 9 with over 17 founding member organizations. By joining GAN as an ecosystem member, Bhutan is positioned to integrate its national digital identity with other digital identity systems and trust ecosystems, potentially enabling Bhutanese citizens to use their digital credentials across the world.
9. リトアニア:
   Lithuania-based RegTech company iDenfy has partnered with FinCause, a newly launched Electronic Money Institution (EMI) regulated by the Bank of Lithuania. Through the collaboration, iDenfy aims to automate FinCause's Know Your Customer (KYC) process, ensuring more conversions through a simple four-step authentication process for B2B customers in the European Economic Area (EEA) and Asian companies operating in the EEA.
10. Malaysia:
    Layer 1 Public Blockchain PlatformZetrixhas launched an application that allows Chinese citizens to digitally authenticate and verify their official ID overseas.²Through its ZCert service, Zetrix simplifies and facilitates the electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) process for businesses outside of China to verify the authenticity of information contained in digital identities presented by Chinese citizens. The service is made possible through Zetrix's integration with China's national public blockchain, Xinghuo BIF. Chinese citizens can choose to publish their digital identities on Xinghuo BIF, after which overseas verification authorities can access that data through Zetrix's ZCert service.
11. Eur-lex.europa.eu eur-lex.europa.eu:
    A digital identity wallet for citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina is under development and is expected to be rolled out by mid-2025. The project is led by Croatian tech startup Identity Consortium, 'EU4DigitalSMEThis is being done as part of the initiative.
    The aim is to modernize identification processes through secure electronic identification, authentication and digital document signing. EU4DigitalSME focuses on supporting the digital transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Funded by the European Union and supported by the German government, the program aims to increase competitiveness by modernizing digital infrastructure and services, and integrate into the broader European digital economy.
    The digital identity wallet will be developed in cooperation with Adverta Pro under the Identyum brand, providing both the back-end system and the mobile application. The platform will enable Bosnian citizens to access public and private services using their digital identity, facilitating Bosnia's integration into the EU digital ecosystem while complying with European regulations.
12. パ ュ ュ ニ ニ:
    Papua New Guinea launches new digital ID, wallet and online government platform, set to begin pilot with 10,000 users in coming weeks³.
    A limited pilot of the SevisPass digital ID, SevisPortal and SevisWallet began this week. The SevisPass is derived from the national ID program and existing physical IDs and allows Papua New Guinea residents to access government services through the SevisPortal. The SevisWallet app stores the SevisPass.
    Seven government services are already available through SevisPortal, and over the next 7 to 12 months, a "digital ecosystem of public and private services" will be created to boost the national economy, said Steven Matainaho, chairman of the Public Service ICT Steering Committee of the country's Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).
13. Jordan:
    Jordan has launched a digital ID activation service for Jordanians living in the US and Canada.
    The service, available through the Sanad App, was established through a partnership between IrisGuard and VFS Global, and aims to improve access to government services for Jordanians living abroad.
    According to a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates on Saturday, the new service will enable Jordanian nationals residing abroad to activate their digital IDs through VFS Global offices.
    The service is expected to benefit approximately 20 Jordanians residing in the United States and Canada.

SOURCE: https://www.thinkdigitalpartners.com/news/2024/10/07/digital-identity-global-roundup-186/

1. https://www.biometricupdate.com/202410/bhutan-brings-first-national-digital-id-program-to-global-acceptance-network
2. https://cointelegraph.com/news/malaysian-zetrix-digital-id-verification-chinese-nationals-abroad
3. https://www.biometricupdate.com/202410/papua-new-guinea-advances-digital-id-wallet-and-govt-platform-to-pilot