Digital government, analog identity: the urgency of closing the gap

The path to full citizenship: how digital identity becomes the key to accessing the services of the future.

Mexico is moving toward digitalization, but our institutions still suffer from practices from the last century. Today, many procedures still rely on printed documents, endless lines, and manual verifications that generate inefficiency and vulnerabilities.

Meanwhile, the private sector is already implementing biometrics, artificial intelligence and real-time validation. 
This gap not only delays development, it also exposes citizens to the risk of fraud and identity theft.

The current problem

According to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), More than 60% of government processes in Latin America are still not digitalized.This results in high time costs, duplication of efforts, and a lack of transparency.
In Mexico, initiatives such as the Biometric CURP are moving toward digitalization, but implementation faces privacy and security concerns.

What happens when the government falls behind?

Slow procedures: citizens lose time and trust.

Risk of impersonation: Printed or scanned documents are easier to forge.

Loss of competitiveness: Companies and investors face regulatory and bureaucratic obstacles.

Closing the gap

A robust digital identity is needed for all citizens, combining secure biometrics, real-time validation and cross-checks with official databases. This doesn't mean giving up privacy: it means designing systems with clear, auditable, and transparent controls. As countries like Estonia and Denmark have shown, where digital identity enables everything from paying taxes to voting online, the key is trust in the technology and the legal framework that supports it.

It's not just about modernizing procedures, but also about protecting rights and making everyday life easier. A secure digital identity prevents fraud, streamlines processes, and paves the way for a more efficient and people-friendly public administration.

The digitalization of government cannot wait. The cost of maintaining an analog identity is too high for the economy and for public confidence. Closing the gap is a national emergency.