Why "1984" will not come
Since Eric Arthur Blair, better known by his pseudonym as George Orwell, wrote the dystopia "1984", the public is very wary of any government initiatives involving some kind of government oversight and use of an identification mechanism. If you are familiar with the classics, and you have only one thought about Room 101, you can certainly imagine what Orwell's novel would look like, if he knew about our hyperconnected world. Fortunately, the horrific future he presented with the omnipotent and all-seeing Big Brother has not yet materialized. The right to privacy and the right to access information has been maintained.
Thanks to innovative solutions for identification and strict regulation of this sphere, it becomes possible to create reliable and protected identity cards of citizens without violating civil liberties. If in the novel information was used to subordinate society and to suppress resistance to the regime, in the modern world, the authorities are exploring ways to protect the personal data of citizens and to better understand how personal data are used. As one example, e-ID electronic IDs can be cited, which allow states to create national identification systems, which ultimately leads to increased levels of trust, new rights and increased legislative transparency.
The idea of ​​electronic identity cards was so popular among the governments of various countries precisely because of the high reliability, convenience and openness of such certificates. Using eID helps fight counterfeit documents, identity theft and helps reduce fraudulent actions with financial and social services: for taxpayers, every use of counterfeit credentials by cybercriminals can cost up to 50,000 euros.
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The technology is highly reliable - a smart card equipped with a microprocessor is considered to be the most secure means of authentication, thanks to which it helps prevent fraud using accounts and protect personal data of citizens as efficiently as possible. If today, using smart cards, payment transactions worth trillions of dollars are safely and securely carried out all over the world, this technology can also prevent personal data fraud.
Another strength of the identity, made in the form of smart cards, is the convenience of their use. E-ID cards can be in your pocket, and can be copied to your phone. The presence of a large number of such cards in circulation instantly makes them the preferred choice for access to various electronic public services. Such certificates can be used for many other purposes, including as a digital wallet, as a means of payment, for digital signatures, authentication, or even as a travel ticket. Modern authentication solutions make people's lives more convenient - and this has nothing to do with the inhuman despotic regime that was introduced in 1984.
Finally, the concept of electronic identities explains why the 1984 plot remained fiction: it’s all about transparency and access control. As one of the examples of how the national certificate system extends the capabilities of citizens, the Belgian electronic certificate system can be cited. According to the Belgian legislation governing the work of electronic certificates, the government must provide the citizens with the application “My File”, which should be available online. It allows citizens to find out exactly who accessed their personal data. At the same time, citizens have access to a special form for filing appeals or complaints, thanks to which they can send a request to the government so that the government can justify one or another fact of access to their personal data. A citizen may, within six months after the fact of access to his data, obtain information about this in his personal database.
It is quite obvious that from the point of view of the problem of identification and protection of personal data, the 1984 plot has no place in the modern world — you can implement powerful solutions for identifying users without infringing upon their civil rights.
The advantages of electronic identity cards have already been appreciated by both citizens and governments of many countries: today, more than 50 countries in the world use this technology. Estonia became one of the first countries to build a digital infrastructure for its citizens by introducing e-ID electronic certificates and launching electronic public services (e-Government). Estonian e-ID e-IDs have become part of the national public key infrastructure (PKI), which allows citizens to use secure online services.
The essence of the technology is reduced to the fact that the digitized data about the authorized user, including his full name, gender, national identification number and public key certificate are stored on the plastic e-ID card. A microprocessor is integrated into the smart card, which provides higher identity protection and allows online authentication and digital signature of documents. In addition, the card contains a photograph of the owner and, as a rule, his fingerprints (and sometimes the scan of the iris), which allows the card to be used for biometric identification and authentication. The new generation of cards also includes the most advanced means of protection against identity theft to preserve the confidentiality of citizens' personal data. This helps prevent further growth of fraud with personal data.
Citizens have a single identification card, an e-ID, provides them with access to a wide variety of applications, including public services, social welfare services, and can also act as an electronic passport, driver's license, as a basis for voting in elections , a document for crossing the border, as well as certificates for obtaining health care and social benefits.
Along with the development of digital and biometric services, the penetration rate of citizen’s electronic digital IDs will also increase. We, as consumers, are increasingly getting used to modern technologies and biometric services in our daily life. In our Connected Living 2025 report, we surveyed 1,200 young people around the world to find out their expectations from modern digital technologies in the coming decade. Most respondents said they expect to see, for example, simple electronic payment tools, digital personal assistants, or the ability to unlock devices using biometrics. The convenience and security inherent in smart cards are the key to a natural evolution and help us simplify access to digital services and services.
The growing popularity of electronic IDs (e-ID) affects various aspects of our daily life. But there is another phenomenon that is beginning to gain momentum today - the development of mobile IDs (Mobile ID).
Mobile ID (or mGov) is a digital ID that allows you to use a mobile phone for secure access to electronic services and for digitally signing documents. Given the ubiquity of smartphones, the availability of the Mobile-ID option will provide greater convenience for citizens. A mobile ID will allow citizens to pay taxes online, receive all sorts of information and even vote in elections. In addition, the development of mobile identities will also contribute to the active use of services, as people will get access to these services around the clock, without having to schedule visits to government agencies during their working hours.
Implementing digital identity solutions, whether Mobile ID or e-ID, is a key strategic step for governments wishing to digitize a society that will help them build a modern national infrastructure for identification. The number of digital transactions between the state and citizens is expected to grow by 30% by 2020 (BCG 2015). BCG forecasts are based on a model that calculates the total number of transactions made by citizens today, and also takes into account changes in the nature of online access.
Among the key advantages of this digital transition are:
Increase convenience and meet the expectations of citizens
Financial savings and reduced fraud
The first who began to implement projects using Mobile ID, were countries where the penetration rate of mobile phones and new technologies is especially high - Austria, Estonia, Finland, Norway and Turkey. Some of these countries are already using mobile IDs (including for mobile access to public services, which is implemented on the basis of existing e-ID platforms). In 2014, Oman became the first country in the Middle East, where the national infrastructure for working with electronic identities began to support the Mobile ID mobile authentication scheme.
Gemalto recently launched a Mobile Connect solution in test mode, which is available to citizens of Spain and Finland. Subscribers of participating operators will be able to use online public services. The goal of this project is to create an international electronic certificate service, built using valid certificates, and also to introduce a new type of trust services for the global market.
It seems that due to the convenience and security level offered by mobile IDs, they will continue to gain popularity. For the widest possible dissemination of mobile identity services, close cooperation is needed between government agencies, banks, telecommunications companies and the private sector. In this case, the first important factor is the role of the state in creating a trusted infrastructure, and the second main condition is to ensure the protection of users when they work with online services.
We would like to know what your opinion is about electronic IDs. If you already have an electronic ID - how exactly did it help you?
Thanks to innovative solutions for identification and strict regulation of this sphere, it becomes possible to create reliable and protected identity cards of citizens without violating civil liberties. If in the novel information was used to subordinate society and to suppress resistance to the regime, in the modern world, the authorities are exploring ways to protect the personal data of citizens and to better understand how personal data are used. As one example, e-ID electronic IDs can be cited, which allow states to create national identification systems, which ultimately leads to increased levels of trust, new rights and increased legislative transparency.
The idea of ​​electronic identity cards was so popular among the governments of various countries precisely because of the high reliability, convenience and openness of such certificates. Using eID helps fight counterfeit documents, identity theft and helps reduce fraudulent actions with financial and social services: for taxpayers, every use of counterfeit credentials by cybercriminals can cost up to 50,000 euros.
')
The technology is highly reliable - a smart card equipped with a microprocessor is considered to be the most secure means of authentication, thanks to which it helps prevent fraud using accounts and protect personal data of citizens as efficiently as possible. If today, using smart cards, payment transactions worth trillions of dollars are safely and securely carried out all over the world, this technology can also prevent personal data fraud.
Another strength of the identity, made in the form of smart cards, is the convenience of their use. E-ID cards can be in your pocket, and can be copied to your phone. The presence of a large number of such cards in circulation instantly makes them the preferred choice for access to various electronic public services. Such certificates can be used for many other purposes, including as a digital wallet, as a means of payment, for digital signatures, authentication, or even as a travel ticket. Modern authentication solutions make people's lives more convenient - and this has nothing to do with the inhuman despotic regime that was introduced in 1984.
Finally, the concept of electronic identities explains why the 1984 plot remained fiction: it’s all about transparency and access control. As one of the examples of how the national certificate system extends the capabilities of citizens, the Belgian electronic certificate system can be cited. According to the Belgian legislation governing the work of electronic certificates, the government must provide the citizens with the application “My File”, which should be available online. It allows citizens to find out exactly who accessed their personal data. At the same time, citizens have access to a special form for filing appeals or complaints, thanks to which they can send a request to the government so that the government can justify one or another fact of access to their personal data. A citizen may, within six months after the fact of access to his data, obtain information about this in his personal database.
It is quite obvious that from the point of view of the problem of identification and protection of personal data, the 1984 plot has no place in the modern world — you can implement powerful solutions for identifying users without infringing upon their civil rights.
Estonia takes the lead
The advantages of electronic identity cards have already been appreciated by both citizens and governments of many countries: today, more than 50 countries in the world use this technology. Estonia became one of the first countries to build a digital infrastructure for its citizens by introducing e-ID electronic certificates and launching electronic public services (e-Government). Estonian e-ID e-IDs have become part of the national public key infrastructure (PKI), which allows citizens to use secure online services.
The essence of the technology is reduced to the fact that the digitized data about the authorized user, including his full name, gender, national identification number and public key certificate are stored on the plastic e-ID card. A microprocessor is integrated into the smart card, which provides higher identity protection and allows online authentication and digital signature of documents. In addition, the card contains a photograph of the owner and, as a rule, his fingerprints (and sometimes the scan of the iris), which allows the card to be used for biometric identification and authentication. The new generation of cards also includes the most advanced means of protection against identity theft to preserve the confidentiality of citizens' personal data. This helps prevent further growth of fraud with personal data.
Citizens have a single identification card, an e-ID, provides them with access to a wide variety of applications, including public services, social welfare services, and can also act as an electronic passport, driver's license, as a basis for voting in elections , a document for crossing the border, as well as certificates for obtaining health care and social benefits.
Along with the development of digital and biometric services, the penetration rate of citizen’s electronic digital IDs will also increase. We, as consumers, are increasingly getting used to modern technologies and biometric services in our daily life. In our Connected Living 2025 report, we surveyed 1,200 young people around the world to find out their expectations from modern digital technologies in the coming decade. Most respondents said they expect to see, for example, simple electronic payment tools, digital personal assistants, or the ability to unlock devices using biometrics. The convenience and security inherent in smart cards are the key to a natural evolution and help us simplify access to digital services and services.
Will electronic IDs become mobile IDs?
The growing popularity of electronic IDs (e-ID) affects various aspects of our daily life. But there is another phenomenon that is beginning to gain momentum today - the development of mobile IDs (Mobile ID).
Mobile ID (or mGov) is a digital ID that allows you to use a mobile phone for secure access to electronic services and for digitally signing documents. Given the ubiquity of smartphones, the availability of the Mobile-ID option will provide greater convenience for citizens. A mobile ID will allow citizens to pay taxes online, receive all sorts of information and even vote in elections. In addition, the development of mobile identities will also contribute to the active use of services, as people will get access to these services around the clock, without having to schedule visits to government agencies during their working hours.
Implementing digital identity solutions, whether Mobile ID or e-ID, is a key strategic step for governments wishing to digitize a society that will help them build a modern national infrastructure for identification. The number of digital transactions between the state and citizens is expected to grow by 30% by 2020 (BCG 2015). BCG forecasts are based on a model that calculates the total number of transactions made by citizens today, and also takes into account changes in the nature of online access.
Among the key advantages of this digital transition are:
Increase convenience and meet the expectations of citizens
- The ability to ensure the availability of service 24/7, wherever the user is located.
- Increasing the satisfaction of users working with public services and services of private companies, as well as ensuring the transparency of these services.
- The ability to save time for citizens who no longer have to get to government agencies or stand in queues: on average, saving time per transaction is 30 minutes, which means a cumulative annual savings of 29 billion hours.
Financial savings and reduced fraud
- According to the BCG global survey, access to electronic public services (e-Government) will make it possible to achieve annual global savings of $ 50 billion by 2020.
- Initiatives such as the British Gov.uk Verify are expected to reduce the costs of providing identification services in some cases by 90% (currently the corresponding annual costs in the UK are 3.3 billion pounds sterling).
- In 2014, 51% of all data breaches were the result of fraudulent identity cards (according to a Gemalto Data Breach Level Index report). Mobile IDs help solve this problem by offering a reliable authentication solution that provides secure access to online services.
The first who began to implement projects using Mobile ID, were countries where the penetration rate of mobile phones and new technologies is especially high - Austria, Estonia, Finland, Norway and Turkey. Some of these countries are already using mobile IDs (including for mobile access to public services, which is implemented on the basis of existing e-ID platforms). In 2014, Oman became the first country in the Middle East, where the national infrastructure for working with electronic identities began to support the Mobile ID mobile authentication scheme.
Gemalto recently launched a Mobile Connect solution in test mode, which is available to citizens of Spain and Finland. Subscribers of participating operators will be able to use online public services. The goal of this project is to create an international electronic certificate service, built using valid certificates, and also to introduce a new type of trust services for the global market.
It seems that due to the convenience and security level offered by mobile IDs, they will continue to gain popularity. For the widest possible dissemination of mobile identity services, close cooperation is needed between government agencies, banks, telecommunications companies and the private sector. In this case, the first important factor is the role of the state in creating a trusted infrastructure, and the second main condition is to ensure the protection of users when they work with online services.
We would like to know what your opinion is about electronic IDs. If you already have an electronic ID - how exactly did it help you?
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/313036/
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