This week’s roundup of Mobile ID World’s top stories is almost entirely about digital ID, with a couple of countries starting down the path toward official ID digitization, a Canadian province staggering on that path, and Ukraine showing just how far that path can go.
Starting with the latter, Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation has raised eyebrows with its continuing enhancements to the country’s mobile ID app in the midst of Russia’s invasion. Not only is the Ukrainian government using the app to help Ukrainians secure welfare payments and flee war zones; it is also letting citizens use the app to report on the locations of Russian soldiers and even to report suspected saboteurs:
Amid Russian Invasion, Ukraine Militarizes Mobile ID App
Hopefully those militaristic applications of mobile ID will never need to be used in South Africa, where the government is preparing a major overhaul of its national ID system. The changes will start with changes to its physical ID programs, including the potential issuance of a joint driver’s license and national ID card, with plans for initial pilots to begin in 2023. But those changes are expected to be followed by digital versions of the ID cards:
South Africa Creates Timeline for Digital Driver’s Licenses
In Chile, meanwhile, the Civil Registry and Identification Service has signed a 10-year contract with IDEMIA broadly covering ID issuance in the country. IDEMIA has been issuing passports and ID cards in Chile for years already, but the new contract specifically entails the development of a digital ID solution, along with more secure versions of physical identity documents:
The Path to Digital ID: Chile Awards IDEMIA with Comprehensive Identity Document Contract
And in Canada, the province of Saskatchewan has illustrated some of the political obstacles that can stand in the way of digital ID development. The province had previously indicated plans to develop a digital ID last fall, but government authorities are now putting that project on hold, citing concerns about privacy and, in particular, costs. They’re going to see how neighboring province’s digital ID efforts go before moving ahead with their own:
Citing Cost, Privacy Issues, Canadian Province Delays Digital ID Plans
And finally, some non-digital ID news: after last month’s disclosure of a potentially significant hack attack by the Lapsus$ group, Okta’s CEO, Todd McKinnon, has offered further details and a mea culpa. That having been said, Okta still hasn’t come up with a full accounting of the extent of the breach:
Okta Accepts Responsibility, Explains How Recent Data Breach Occurred
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Keep reading Mobile ID World for the latest news from the world of digital identity. You can also visit our sibling site FindBiometrics to learn more about biometrics.
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