On International Identity Day 2024, one starts to ponder the future of – or even the very concept of – identity. Whether physical or digital, identity is essential to accessing education, employment, financial services, and much more. So, as I pointed out in a previous blog post, there's a lot at stake! Yet, about 850 million people around the globe have no form of legal ID. That’s 1 in 8 people, with that ratio being significantly higher in low-income countries.
In person, identity is very tangible – someone you can see, hear, feel, smell, and touch. Online, identity is more abstract – a virtual representation of oneself and more open to interpretation and manipulation, much like an avatar. But in our increasingly digital world with an intensifying threat landscape, including AI-powered attacks, it’s more important than ever to protect the integrity and security of identities.
Tackling Synthetic Identities and Deepfakes
It’s becoming harder and harder to separate fact from fiction. Take synthetic identity fraud as an example, with an ever-increasing volume and realism of deepfakes thanks to AI. A recent U.S. study revealed that 72% of American social media users find it challenging to spot AI-generated content such as fake news and scams; and only 27% feel confident they would be able to identify if a call from a close friend or family member was real or AI-generated. Keeping identities safe comes down to adopting a Zero Trust strategy with AI-powered, identity-centric solutions – including document and biometric verification.
Regaining Control of Your Own Identity
On the surface it may seem apparent that you own your own identity, but what about your identity credentials? Passports and driver’s licenses are issued by government authorities, debit and credit cards by financial institutions, and student ID cards by academic institutions. Without a trusted universal identity credential, we risk recreating the password proliferation problem, just with identities. On the other hand, with a universally trusted identity credential, we risk having to share all our identity information with every service provider, whether relevant or not.
Border control needs to know my nationality and biometric data, but do travel service providers really need to know my exact age and place of birth as stated in my passport? When confirming age of majority to purchase alcohol or view a restricted film, why do I also need to share my height, gender, and legal address as listed on my driver’s license? Giving back control of identity to consumers is the promise of decentralized identity.
European Union Digital Identity Initiative
A perfect example of decentralized identity in practice is the European Union Digital Identity (EUDI) initiative. By 2026, all EU member states must offer their citizens an EUDI wallet built to common specifications that will enable people to be able to store, manage, and share their digital identity credentials. Most importantly, EUDI wallets will give users control over their own data, ensuring that only the necessary information is shared with service providers. Plus, once implemented, the EUDI wallet will work seamlessly across Europe, halting the proliferation of identity credentials in this region.
Reaffirming Our Commitment to Secure Trusted Identities
So, on International Identity Day 2024 as we are presented with new identity challenges and opportunities, let’s all reaffirm our commitment to keeping identities secure and people safe. At Entrust, that means helping our customers realize secure trusted identities for their customers with AI-powered, identity-centric solutions.
