The digital identity boom: Which countries and regions are leading the way?

Digital wallets, regulations and standards for identity verification, and identity cards with biometric data are some of the paths being adopted in different parts of the world to protect digital identity..

We're in a context where it has become a necessity for virtually everything, from government procedures to transportation, booking entertainment, and acquiring financial services. This is our digital identity. However, there are areas of the world that are at the forefront, while others are just taking their first steps.

Our digital identity It consists of the data, credentials and attributes that allow a person, company or institution to be authenticated in the digital world.

Its relevance is so great today that countries have been forced to create robust regulations to prevent crimes such as fraud and identity theft from getting out of hand.

Advances in digital identity in Europe and Asia

The European Union has taken a step forward by implementing the regulation eIDAS 2.0 for Electronic Identification, Authentication and Trust Services, which came into force in May 2024.

This regulation brought about the creation of the European Wallet Digital Identity, which is a digital wallet for Europeans to store and manage their credentials in a controlled manner to improve security and trust in digital transactions, and which must be implemented by December 2026.

Countries like Estonia have had mandatory digital identity, the e-ID, which allows residents to access public and private services, vote online, and digitally sign documents since 2002. Estonia is one of the most advanced countries in the world in this regard. In 2014, it launched the e-Residency program, which allows people to become virtual residents.

In Asia, there are examples such as Singapore, where Singpass is already operating. This is the country's digital identity and consists of an authentication platform that allows residents of the Asian country to access more than 1,700 digital services from the government and the private sector.

Leadership and Challenges in America

Another country at the forefront of this issue is the United States, with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which develops and publishes digital identity guidelines to establish requirements and best practices for secure identity verification and authentication, which are adopted by security agencies and the financial sector.

While in Latin America countries like Brazil already have platforms like the Gov.br, which is a government site that collects the digital identification of Brazilians through the Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas (CPF), which is the taxpayer registry, and allows them to access digital public services and establishes protocols for different levels of trust.

Other Latin American countries such as Costa Rica, Chile, Colombia, and Uruguay have already implemented digital infrastructure for their digital identity cards, with progress yet to reach formal status.

The case of the biometric CURP in Mexico

In Mexico, authorities are about to implement a new official identification that will include a photograph, fingerprints, iris and electronic signature, in addition to the alphanumeric data on the Unique Population Registry Key (CURP).

The so-called "biometric CURP" will pave the way for a massive undertaking to collect and safeguard Mexicans' data, highlighting the need for technological and cybersecurity infrastructure that we will see develop in the coming years.