Almost every day, no matter where we go or what we do, we often have to provide proof that we are who we say we are. This can be when you open up a bank account, collect a parcel from the post office, or when you make certain purchases.
What all these situations have in common is that we, as citizens, currently have to produce physical documents, whether it is a passport or driver’s license, which contains private information so we can prove we are who we say we are – that is, our identity. This process is also called ‘identity assurance’, which is the cornerstone of most of the interactions between businesses and their customers, as well as the government and its citizens.
For years this cumbersome, unsecure and time-consuming process has led to calls for creating a singular, secure, portable and accessible digital ID. However, this need has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 crisis, which forced businesses and governments alike to complete identity checks digitally to avoid unnecessary in-person contact.
As more services move online, customers and citizens now need the tools to make assertions about their identity both digitally and remotely. Taking a step back, we must now ask ourselves the questions: how has Covid-19 changed our relationship with digital identity and what does the path to secure digital IDs look like going forward?
Pre-Covid and the meandering path to digital IDs
As mentioned, proving one’s identity, particularly online, can be a manual and unsecure process. Think about when you open up a bank account with your high street bank: you’re often required to send scanned copies of documents with the blind tr ..
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