Students at the University of New Brunswick and Sheridan College will be the first in Canada to be able to store their digital student ID on their iPhone or Apple Watch and use it to gain access to buildings and make purchases this coming academic year, Apple has announced... More
Google has joined with secure element (SE) vendors to launch the Android Ready SE Alliance to accelerate the adoption of new use cases for Android devices including digital car keys and mobile IDs... More
Russian mobile network operators Beeline and MegaFon are looking to develop digital wallets for smartphones and other mobile devices that will support the central bank digital currency (CBDC) which is being developed by The Central Bank of Russia (CBR)... More
International passengers arriving at US airports on American Airlines flights can now verify that they have had a negative Covid-19 test before travelling via a digital health passport on their mobile phone... More
Passengers flying with American Airlines from Dallas Fort Worth International and Reagan Washington National airports in the USA are testing a touchless mobile identity system that allows them to verify their identity with their face at the check-in desk... More
Drivers in the US state of Florida will soon be able to apply for a mobile driving licence that they can use to provide digital proof of their identity, licence status and age — just as they do with a conventional licence — and also to verify themselves when accessing a variety of online services... More
Apple has filed a patent application with the US Patent and Trademark Office for a digital identity credential system that would enable users to securely store and present documents such as their passport or driving licence digitally on their electronic and mobile devices... More
Citizens using Singapore’s SingPass national digital ID system can now use face verification to securely authenticate themselves when accessing a growing range of government and commercial services on their mobile phone, computer or in government agency kiosks... More
Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, USA, has responded to the Covid-19 pandemic by switching to a mobile-only ID system, removing the need to issue physical cards or for students to visit the campus ID office in person to register for a card and have their photograph taken... More
German consumers with a Galaxy S20 mobile phone will be the first to be able to use a new government-backed service that allows citizens to securely store their national ID on an embedded secure element in their smartphone, Samsung has announced... More
Campus card solutions provider Transact has rolled out support for Android NFC student IDs, integrated with Google Pay, to 16 US universities... More
Mastercard brings digital identity to real world tests — Mastercard — “The pilot will test a new way for people to prove their identity without having to carry multiple documents. Instead, the model allows the data to sit with its rightful owner — the user. It will activate a distributed model that blends information stored on an individual’s mobile device and verified by additional reference points, such as an individual’s bank or participating government agencies.”
Catalonia, the semi-autonomous region of Spain which includes the city of Barcelona, is to develop an electronic identity platform that “turns the citizen into owner, manager and exclusive custodian of his identity and data”... More
Consortium launches blockchain-based digital ID in S Korea — Yonhap News — “A group of major tech companies and financial institutions have joined hands to launch a blockchain-based digital identity platform available on smartphones… Samsung Electronics Co, three mobile carriers — SK Telecom Co, KT Corp and LG Uplus Corp — KEB Hana Bank, Woori Bank and Koscom, an IT subsidiary of the main stock exchange, signed an agreement to jointly develop a mobile application for the digital ID platform.”
Digital ID platforms to be used by 5bn people in 2024, as emerging economies go mobile-first — Juniper Research — “The number of people using government-issued digital identity credentials will grow by over 150% from an expected 1.7bn in 2019 to over 5bn in 2024… Mobile ID schemes take the lead over digital identity cards, with a third more users relying on apps compared to cards in the next five years.”
Introducing Android Q Beta — Google — “In Android Q we’re extending support for passive authentication methods such as face, and adding implicit and explicit authentication flows. In the explicit flow, the user must explicitly confirm the transaction in the TEE during the authentication. The implicit flow is designed for a lighter-weight alternative for transactions with passive authentication. We’ve also improved the fallback for device credentials when needed.”
Google is to introduce an IdentityCredential API that will enable Android users to securely store identity documents such as driving licences and, ultimately, passports on their NFC mobile phone... More
Canadian mobile digital identity service to launch this fall — IT World Canada — “A long-awaited Canadian mobile digital identity validation service supported by Canada’s biggest banks and telcos will launch this fall… Called Verified.Me, the service installs an app on a mobile device that confirms a user’s identity, allowing businesses and governments to immediately do transactions without demanding proof of identity.”
Kakao Pay’s blockchain-based authentication boasts 1m users — Yonhap News — “Users of KakaoTalk, South Korea’s top mobile messenger, can use the authentication service on the mobile messenger without having to download an application. A total of 20 institutions and companies, including insurer AIA Life Korea and the Korea Transportation Safety Authority, use the service, Kakao Pay said, adding that it plans to expand the service.”
WeChat poised to become China’s official electronic ID system — South China Morning Post — “The WeChat ID programme was co-developed by the research institute of the Ministry of Public Security and Tencent’s WeChat team, and supported by various banks and several other government departments. The project is expected to help deter online identity theft, as facial recognition technology is used to verify applicants before their virtual ID cards get authorised. Those verified will be able to use their WeChat ID to register in hotels and apply for government services without the need of bringing their physical ID cards.”