In the previous section, we looked at the concept of national digital identity, as well as what national digital identification looks like in countries around the world. In this section, we will discuss the potential benefits and risks that come with the implementation of national digital identification programs.
What are the Potential Benefits of National Digital Identification?
Live Databases Function as Third-Party Authentication
One of the greatest benefits of having a system that stores the verified information of an individual is the ability for it to act as an authoritative third-party that can affirm or deny a person’s identity. This concept is commonly seen at custom checkpoints when individuals cross international borders. Nationals of a country may present their passport to be checked by a customs officer, and have their token validated by the officer looking up the individual in a database, and comparing the information stored in the database to the information on the passport. In a system without computerized information storage available to customs officers, they may rely on other forms of authenticity, such as the anti-forgery methods of an entry visa permit, which may be less reliable.
Affordance of Multi-Factor Authentication
Another benefit of a computerized information system includes the ability to store information of varying types. In addition to traditional forms of verification, such as passwords, signatures, and seals of authenticity, national digital identity can increase security through voice and biometric verification. Although recent developments in technology have enabled algorithms to mimic the voice of a human subject [16] and fingerprints [17], more unique biometric data such as DNA may provide a layer of protection for identity authentication.
Custodial Duty of Personal Information Moved to Government
In addition to benefits such as increased access to government services, national digital identity systems shift the custodial duty of personal information from the private to public sector. In countries such as the United Kingdom, the implementation of a national digital identity is in partnership with private “certified companies”. In contrast, in Canada it is the government itself that implements systems such as its online tax portal, and “accepts responsibility for the security of information once the CRA has received it” for its systems [18]. A benefit of this shift of custodial duty is the increase in the capacity of citizens to impact how their data is managed, as the laws governing such national digital identity programs can be changed through the legislative process in democratic countries.
What are the Potential Risks of National Digital Identification?
Higher Degree of Loss in Data Breach Incidents
Security researchers at Virginia Polytechnic Institute found that over 50 per cent of 28.8 million users reuse old passwords, making it easier for hackers to gain access to additional personal information once one online account has been compromised [19]. In the same sense, a national digital identity that encompasses a large scope will carry the risk of exposing most, or even all of a person’s personal information at once. Potential safeguards may include developing a method to network separately secured systems into a unified national digital identity system to reduce the number of data breach incidents.
Privacy and Surveillance Concerns
Human rights advocacy group AccessNow published a working paper titled National Digital Identity Programmes: What’s Next [20], which looks at the potential risks of implementing national digital identity programs. In addition to the risks of data breaches similar to the case in Estonia in 2017, the working paper raises the concern that national digital identity programs “undermine the right to privacy and chill freedom of movement, the freedom of expression, and other protected rights.”
Such centralised systems, which often operate with a heedless collect-it-all or link-it-all approach, introduce unnecessary risks with scant evidence of societal benefits. These programmes risk harming the interests of the same people that public officials and policymakers claim to want to help. Any digital ID programme that harms human rights is not acceptable, full stop. – AccessNow, 2018
AccessNow looks at the case study of India’s Aadhaar program [21], a national digital identity system that includes biometric and personal information of Indian citizens. Although it is not compulsory for citizens to participate, some services, such as food rations, taxes, banking, and telecommunications, require enrollment into the program. As a result of this semi-coercive nature of the system, the ability for individuals to choose whether or not to disclose certain information is taken away from them. AccessNow also raises concerns of surveillance, algorithmic profiling, and the potential for misuse and oppression in their working paper.
Additional Cost to Taxpayers to Maintain and Operate System
The World Bank published an article addressing the public cost of implementing and maintaining a national digital identification system for a country’s taxpayers [22]. They also produced a cost modelling tool for countries that are considering implementing a national digital identification system [23], which looks at six cost categories and how they impact the expenditure of a potential system. Elements such as biometrics, linkages, and number of fields have a large impact on the resulting cost of the identification system. However, a carefully designed system can generate savings through the consolidation of interoperable identity verification processes for government services as well as private businesses.
Discussion Questions
- How much of your personal information is currently captured by a national digital identity system? What information is not captured? What personal information is known only to you?
- If your country of residence or citizenship doesn’t have a national digital identification, do you think it should? Why or why not?
- In your current experience, do you feel that your information is kept confidential when you access government services? Why or why not?
- What do you think of the potential impacts of requiring citizens to access government services via an internet-enabled device?
- Do you think improvements in technology can overcome the current risks of national digital identity programs?
You can submit a comment or reply to another reader’s comments in the discussion forum below!
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not constitute legal or financial advice.
Always do your own research for informed decisions.
Additional Sources of Information
- Technology Landscape for Digital Identification [World Bank]
- Digital Identity: On the Threshold of a Digital Identity Revolution [World Economic Forum]
- Debatepedia – Identity Cards [DebatePedia]
- Digital ID & Authentication Council of Canada [DIACC]
- The Case for Digital IDs: A techUK White Paper [TechUK]
- International Principles on the Application of Human Rights to Communications Surveillance [Necessary And Proportionate]
Edited by: Monique Rodrigues
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