Got your ID? The world’s going digital with identity
Lately, it seems like everyone’s getting into digital identity systems, often called Digital IDs. Governments, private companies, banks, universities, tech giants – you name it, they’re launching new ways for us to prove who we are using electronic documents and online portals. While these systems promise convenience, they also bring up some big questions about personal security and privacy. So, let’s dig into what various countries have been up to.
Across Europe
United Kingdom Come September 2025, the UK is rolling out its own nationwide Digital ID scheme. The official line? It’s meant to help crack down on illegal immigration and cut down on bureaucracy. Officials say it’ll make it harder for people to work illegally, while also simplifying access to crucial public services for most citizens – think driving licenses, benefits, and tax records, all in one place.
This new digital credential, imaginatively called “BritCard,” will live on a phone app and be free for all UK citizens and residents. The government is keen to stress that you won’t have to carry it all the time – it’ll only be requested for specific checks. However, by 2029, you will need a digital ID to get a job. They’re also busy building a GOV.UK Digital Wallet to hold your BritCard alongside things like digital driving licenses. It’s reassuring to know they’re thinking about vulnerable groups, too, with plans for people without smartphones and consultations with groups representing the homeless and elderly.
Switzerland Switzerland’s journey to an electronic ID (e-ID) has been a bit of a rollercoaster. They actually put their e-ID law to a public vote twice. Back in 2021, voters weren’t keen on too much private sector involvement. So, they revised the plan: the state will now issue the e-ID, and it’ll be free and completely voluntary. On September 28, 2025, a narrow majority of voters (50.4%) finally backed the law.
This e-ID will be linked to your smartphone for online stuff like verifying your age or accessing services. You can even show it offline, for example, to open a bank account. For security, each e-ID will be tied to a single device, meaning if you get a new phone, you’ll need a new credential. Physical passports and ID cards aren’t going anywhere, and a new biometric plastic card with fingerprints is due by late 2025. So, you might end up with a physical passport, an ID card, and a smartphone e-ID! The hope is that this e-ID will make government services smoother, especially for the roughly 10% of Swiss citizens living abroad.
Austria In 2023, Austria upgraded from its “Handy-Signature” mobile signature to “ID Austria,” a full national digital identity system. Through apps like Digitales Amt and eAusweise, you can store digital versions of your passport, driving license, and other credentials. ID Austria has a basic and an enhanced level; the enhanced one requires an in-person check and works on smartphones, even across EU borders. It lets you prove your identity nationwide, access online services, and sign documents remotely.
France France has launched its “France Identité” app, which cleverly uses the chip already embedded in their ID cards. By November 2023, the government announced it was fully deployed. France Identité allows citizens to prove their identity online without oversharing data and to keep digital copies of their ID card, driving license, and more. Since February 2024, a digital driving license has been available, and they plan to integrate health insurance cards by the end of 2025. It uses modern security like Face ID and biometrics and meets European security standards.
Spain In 2023, Spain started rolling out a mobile version of its national ID, called “MiDNI,” an app that stores your ID on your smartphone. It officially launched in April 2025. MiDNI allows for electronic identification to access public services, and they plan to expand its features to include online document signing and remote identity verification for private services. Once fully rolled out, MiDNI will enable citizens to vote, open bank accounts, check into hotels, rent cars, and more – all online. You register either through their website or at police stations after a physical ID check.
Poland Poland has made huge strides in popularizing its “mDowod” digital ID. Since July 2023, this digital credential has been legally the same as a paper ID in most situations. You can flash your mDowod from the “mObywatel” app at government offices, banks, post offices, and even at the ballot box. By October 2024, mDowod had over 8 million users. Separately, their “mojeID” system, which uses banks to verify identity, serves about 22 million customers.
Bosnia and Herzegovina In 2025, Bosnia and Herzegovina launched the “e-IDDEEA” mobile app. This lets citizens get digital versions of their passports, ID cards, and driving licenses. The system meets European eIDAS requirements, and through e-IDDEEA, users can apply qualified electronic signatures remotely for public services (like tax, insurance, social benefits) and commercial ones (banks, telecoms). To register, you need to visit an office in person to get the credentials for the app, after which your digital documents are legally valid.
Other European Countries Germany is seeing increased use of its “BundID” access portal. Denmark has successfully transitioned from its old NemID system to the new national eID, MitID, and has also legalized digital versions of driving licenses and health cards that are just as valid as the paper ones. Ireland even ran a successful pilot of a national digital wallet, getting ready for the EU’s “eIDAS 2.0” initiative.
Broadly speaking, European countries are lining up with the EU’s plan: by the end of 2026, every citizen should have access to a single European Digital Identity, known as the EUDI Wallet. This wallet is designed as an open app to hold your ID, driving license, diplomas, and other certifications in one spot, ready to be presented online or offline. Some 550 organizations (both public and private) from EU countries, Norway, Iceland, and Ukraine are already participating in pilot programs.
Ukraine Ukraine was one of the first countries to give full legal recognition to a digital passport. Their “Diia” mobile app and web portal offer access to a ton of public services and documents. You can find domestic and international passports, driving licenses, diplomas, vehicle registrations, and even children’s birth certificates all in one place. Diia also helps you prove your identity and log in to various online services. It integrates with over 70 public resources, letting you do things like register a company, pay fines, or send appeals to authorities. In 2025, Ukraine also adopted a resolution for a digital ID wallet where individuals and legal entities can store IDs and digital signatures for remote use, though it won’t have payment functions.
Russia Russia’s full-fledged digital ID is still in the planning stages, with legislation being drafted and pilot tests underway. In some cases, providing passport data electronically has been made equivalent to showing the original, and in certain situations, it will hold the same legal weight as a paper document. They’re discussing a digital passport project that would include QR codes with selective information (like age verification). To get one, a citizen would submit biometric data (face, fingerprints) to authorized Interior Ministry bodies.
Asia and Oceania
China On July 15th, the Chinese government rolled out digital IDs for online use, shifting the responsibility for online identification from private companies to the state. Users provide personal info and scan their face for the police via an app. Then, they can log into apps and websites using a unique identifier. Interestingly, the system also limits what internet services can learn about users, allowing people to log in with just a private string of characters, without exposing all their personal data.
South Korea In 2025, South Korea introduced a digital version of its Resident Registration Card (their national ID) for all citizens and residents. This mobile credential replaces the physical card in several areas, delivered via an app and protected by advanced encryption and blockchain. Initially, the digital ID is being used for identity verification in banking and financial transactions, with wider use planned. To get one, you can scan the chip in your plastic ID or register at a local public center for an in-person check. Additional biometric verification helps prevent fraud. Notably, each digital ID is tied to a specific smartphone, so if your device is lost, the credential can be quickly deactivated through your mobile provider. This model is pretty similar to Switzerland’s device-bound e-ID. By the end of 2025, South Korea aims to standardize digital IDs internationally, with research institute ETRI already working on a global standard for digital identity wallets to store various credentials (like government IDs, driving licenses, student cards, and bank cards) in a common, worldwide format.
Sri Lanka In 2025, Sri Lanka launched its “Unique Digital Identity” program (SL-UDI), which integrates with the “eLocker” mobile app and builds on their national biometric ID. Physical cards, produced with Thales’s help, will remain valid for a 3-5 year transition period. All biometric and personal data will be collected and stored securely by the Department for Registration of Persons, with multi-layer encryption both in transit and at rest. Despite some court challenges, authorities insist that once it’s fully localized (meaning all processes are under state control), this digital ID will be central to how services are delivered. They’re putting a lot of emphasis on the legal basis for data ownership – by law, the data belongs to the state department to prevent unauthorized access.
India India’s “Aadhaar” system, launched in the 2010s, has picked up even more steam recently. It now covers nearly 1.38 billion people – that’s 97% of the population – making it the world’s largest biometric ID system. The government relies heavily on Aadhaar for its social programs; by linking digital IDs to bank accounts, aid and subsidies go directly to those who need them, significantly reducing fraud. In January 2025, the system handled 2.84 billion authentication transactions, a 32% increase year-on-year. The World Bank estimates that extreme poverty in India fell from 16.2% to 2.3% over a decade, partly thanks to the Aadhaar digital infrastructure. It even helped identify and remove 58 million fake recipients from food-ration lists.
Singapore Singapore’s “Singpass” digital identity system has been around for a while and just keeps getting better. It now provides access to over 2,000 services from public agencies and private companies. In 2023-2024, the government boosted security, adding Face ID checks for higher-risk transactions (like those involving pension funds), which significantly cut down on fraud. After a “Sender ID” registry was introduced to filter SMS scams, fake messages dropped by 70% in just three months. Singpass combines your account, biometrics, and multi-factor authentication for a huge range of services – everything from taxes and medical appointments to banking and online shopping.
Australia In April 2025, the state of Queensland introduced a Digital ID, replacing their older QGov system. This new credential uses biometric authentication and passwordless passkeys, aiming to simplify access to public services through a single app. Federally, Australia is debating a Digital ID law to ensure government identifiers are safe, voluntary, and widely accepted nationwide. Similar regional efforts are underway in New Zealand (with the “RealMe” system) and Japan (with the expanded “MyNumber” card, which now includes driving license integration since 2024).
Other Asia-Pacific Countries Malaysia is aiming to complete its digital-government ecosystem by 2024, with a national digital ID as a key part. Vietnam, on July 1st, 2024, enforced a digital-identity law requiring mandatory biometrics in national e-IDs, and a new system using fingerprints and facial data is being built. Indonesia and the Philippines are digitizing their ID cards (e-KTP and PhilID) with mobile apps and QR codes complementing the physical plastic cards.
The Americas
Brazil Brazil, Latin America’s biggest economy, launched a national blockchain-based digital-identity program in 2023. A presidential decree required all 27 states to join the system for issuing electronic IDs by November 6th, 2023. The pilot started in Rio de Janeiro, Goiás, and Paraná, where IDs are issued via a platform built by government IT service Serpro. Serpro head Alexandre Amorim noted that blockchain’s decentralized nature makes it perfect for this project, helping protect personal data and prevent fraud. Officials hope a unified digital ID will help fight organized crime, make data sharing between agencies easier, expand access to services, and streamline document administration. Years of groundwork went into unifying state databases across all 27 states, and the blockchain platform is designed to securely link the Federal Revenue Service with other bodies. Brazil has truly become a pioneer in national blockchain IDs.
Canada In 2025, Canada focused less on a single national ID and more on setting standards. In August, the Digital Governance Standards Institute (DGSI) approved the CAN/DGSI 103-0:2025 Code of Practice for Digital Identity. This document lays out principles for public bodies and businesses deploying digital IDs and trust policies, reflecting international approaches (like the European eIDAS and UNCITRAL principles). The standard emphasizes interoperability, which is vital in Canada where digital IDs are evolving at the provincial level. Ontario, for example, is preparing its own Digital ID (a previously delayed project now revived), while British Columbia has long used its BC Services Card for online access. Canada is also dabbling in decentralized identifiers; several provinces and banks participated in the Verified.Me project, which uses Hyperledger technology. The goal is a trusted ecosystem where citizens can use various identity systems (government, banking, etc.) that all meet common security and privacy standards.
United States The US doesn’t have a single national e-ID, but states and the private sector are moving quickly. More than 30 states have adopted or are testing mobile driving licenses displayed in smartphone apps (Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, or state-specific apps). These digital licenses follow international standards (ISO/IEC 18013-5) for mobile IDs, allowing for secure storage, offline verification, and selective data sharing. In 2023, Louisiana mandated age verification for adult websites via “LA Wallet,” causing a 300% surge in new registrations the day the law took effect. LA Wallet was also used to remotely identify 210,000 hurricane victims for aid distribution, without fraud. Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Georgia, and others support loading licenses into Apple Wallet, which are accepted at places like TSA checkpoints. Meanwhile, federal agencies have partnered with private providers for online verification. ID.me, a digital-identity service, had enrolled 130 million Americans by 2024, with 60 million completing higher-assurance verification. ID.me maintains digital wallets holding verified credentials for authentication on government sites. Solutions like these have sparked debate over privacy and the exclusion of low-income people without smartphones. In response, the US government launched “better identity” initiatives, framing digital ID as essential for fintech and Web3.
Latin America Following Brazil’s lead, Costa Rica in September 2025 rolled out a digital ID card (“IDC-Ciudadano”) that’s fully equivalent to the physical one. It’s now officially accepted as proof of identity by banks, telecoms, public bodies, and businesses (though the 2026 elections will still require original documents). Banco de Costa Rica and several organizations already support e-ID, with others given time to adapt. Citizens get their digital ID via online registration and an app, activating it through FaceID or photo verification. Mexico has introduced a digital driving license, though for now it’s only for commercial drivers working abroad – a QR code with a digital signature on a smartphone. Argentina has implemented mobile versions of its DNI and driving license in the “Mi Argentina” app. Peru and Chile are also piloting e-IDs and biometric registries, while Uruguay in 2023 launched “eCedula” – an NFC smart card and its mobile equivalent.
Africa and the Middle East
A big wave of digitization is sweeping across Africa, with support from international donors (like the ID4Africa initiative and the World Bank).
Nigeria Nigeria has upgraded its platform for citizens living abroad: starting in 2025, all diaspora centers are connected to a revamped system for issuing the National Identification Number (NIN). Overseas partners were trained, making online issuance and verification faster. The plan is to issue at least 59 million new NINs by the end of 2026.
Kenya In 2023, Kenya announced “Maisha Namba,” a digital ID scheme with lifelong personal numbers and biometric credentials. After two months of testing, President William Samoei arap Ruto confirmed its rollout to anyone who wanted it by the end of 2023. Maisha Namba is designed to be a “cradle-to-grave” identifier, providing access to public services, bank accounts, and travel, with identification via fingerprint or iris through a digital profile.
Southern Africa Southern Africa is actively planning cross-border identity integration. In September 2025, the SADC Committee of Central Banks and the Co-Develop foundation announced Africa’s first regional digital-identity infrastructure for 16 SADC countries. The goal is a federated e-KYC system that allows banks and fintech companies to verify customers across borders using a compatible digital ID platform. This project aims to simplify cross-border payments, boost financial inclusion, and avoid duplicating national ID systems. It’s also part of the global “50-in-50” campaign to build secure, shared digital infrastructure across the Global South.
Middle East Saudi Arabia stands out with its “Absher” app, which offers a digital ID. By the end of 2024, more than 28 million citizens had used it to access various services. The UAE has been operating “UAE Pass” since 2018, a unified digital identity for citizens, residents, and even visitors. It provides single sign-on to public portals and many private services, digital signatures, and certificate requests. Registration involves an Emirates ID scan and facial recognition, or kiosks with fingerprint biometrics. The UAE promotes UAE Pass as the backbone of smart government, aiming for virtually all public services to be accessible through it by 2025. Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and other Gulf states are building similar IDs, often linked to SIM cards or biometric apps.
In February 2025, Etihad Credit Insurance – the UAE’s federal export credit company – became the first insurer to join the “KYC Blockchain” platform. This system streamlines Know Your Customer (KYC) processes across firms and public agencies. Blockchain allows for secure exchange and verification of client data without oversharing. The platform is already in use and expanding. The UAE also has “UAE Verify,” a government blockchain platform for verifying digital documents. It lets private and public organizations confirm the authenticity of government-issued documents using an immutable distributed ledger. The platform supports IDs, certificates, licenses, and other official documents, and is already operational, used by many ministries as part of their “paperless government” strategy.
The Big questions: control and discrimination
While digital IDs offer undeniable convenience, they also significantly increase governments’ ability to monitor their citizens. As Pavel Durov, founder of Telegram, pointed out:
“Countries that were once free are introducing dystopian measures such as digital IDs (the UK), online age verification (Australia) and mass scanning of private messages (the EU). Germany persecutes anyone who dares to criticise officials on the Internet. The UK jails thousands of people for their tweets. France launches criminal investigations against tech leaders who defend freedom and privacy. A dark, dystopian world is approaching fast — while we sleep. Our generation risks going down in history as the last to have freedoms — and to have allowed them to be taken away.”
In Canada, for instance, 2.9 million people signed a petition against introducing digital passports. Critics often compare these plans to dystopian visions from authors like George Orwell. The Daily Mail even called the UK’s policy “East German” and “despotic.” The petition authors warned that adopting such initiatives “would be a step toward mass surveillance and digital control; no one should be forced to register in a state identity system.”
Similar concerns are being raised elsewhere: these initiatives could deepen state control. There’s a real risk of these systems becoming tools for widespread surveillance. In China, for example, police could potentially build lists of every website and app a person uses. Data from digital IDs could also feed into a much broader online monitoring system. Kenya’s Supreme Court actually put a temporary halt on the rollout of its Maisha ID after activists filed lawsuits, pointing to the lack of a data-protection framework and the risk of excluding people without access to technology. Even so, the government insists the new eID is crucial for things like e-commerce, banking, and fighting fraud.
Beyond surveillance, how data is managed remains a big unanswered question. Officials might be tempted to sell valuable personal information. And let’s not forget external attacks. In 2022, a hacker stole a billion personal records from Shanghai police by breaching an unprotected database. Foreign involvement can also be a touchy subject. In Sri Lanka, the project is funded by an Indian grant, which led to petitions to the Supreme Court to suspend the SL-UDI over concerns about data sovereignty, national security, and financial law.
Some of these issues might be eased by using blockchain technology, which offers transparency, resilience, and data integrity. Yet, surprisingly few countries are building their Digital ID systems on distributed ledgers. One interesting case is Bhutan, which in October announced it’s moving its National Digital Identity (NDI) from Polygon to Ethereum, citing stronger data security. NDI uses “self-sovereign identity” technology, allowing nearly 800,000 residents to store and present digital credentials for online services.
When used thoughtfully, blockchain can boost trust, security, and convenience in Digital ID. But it absolutely requires careful regulation, strong privacy safeguards, and a commitment to inclusivity so that the technology genuinely serves people, rather than creating new barriers.
