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When it comes to accessing essential services, such as national medical care, grants and the ability to vote in elections to shape national policy, a valid identity document is critical.In South Africa, undocumented citizens are restricted in their ability to collect social grants or go to a hospital. Even those with valid IDs spend hours in queues owing to inefficient and protracted identification processes.
In South Africa, for example, lengthy identification processes see citizens queueing for up to three hours to renew a driver’s license. Many people leave their homes in the dark and queue from dawn for their social security grants only to be turned away when the queue is cut because of system failures.
In fact, South Africa is pursuing digital identity in some form, through the form of a Smart ID card that stores face and fingerprint biometrics. However, this pioneering initiative is being held back by a restrictive, lengthy onboarding process. Smart ID cards can only be issued from a selection of offices with a ‘live capture system’ as well as through certain banks that use the system in-house. This is not enough to implement secure digital identity at scale.
The US Federal Government lists iProov as a Synthetic Identity Fraud Mitigation Provider and government clients include the US Department of Homeland Security, the UK Home Office, the Australian Tax Office, and GovTech Singapore. Digital identity programmes can bridge the identity gap by being accessible through even basic smartphones, thus eliminating barriers such as cost and complex application processes that often require travel. A case in point is the European Union Digital Identity Wallet a decentralised, interoperable digital tool that aims to provide all 447-million EU citizens with the ability to easily store and exchange identity documents and credentials securely, while having full control over their data.
Security is also key as these initiatives must provide the maximum number of people with digital identities and financial access, while consistently mitigating the risks of cybersecurity threats. As with any technology that enables access to a broad range of secured data and financial services, there is a risk of digital identities being compromised for fraud, money laundering, or other illicit activities.
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