This week’s roundup of Mobile ID World’s top stories helps to illustrate some of the variety in the potential applications of digital identity technology, for good and, arguably, for ill. (But mostly for good.)
Perhaps the biggest news of the week came from Greece, whose government is preparing to launch a national mobile ID app. Speaking to a local television station, Digital Governance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis indicated that citizens will have access to a wallet-style app for storing digital versions of ID cards and driver’s licenses by the end of July (though he has been proven wrong about the timing of this project in the past):
Greece to Launch National Mobile ID By End of July, Says Digital Governance Minister
On the private sector side of the equation, Samsung also delivered some important mobile ID news this week. The tech giant announced that its Samsung Pass secure access app is being folded into the Samsung Pay mobile platform, with the latter poised to become a consolidated identity app that will eventually be capable of storing things like movie tickets and boarding passes for flights:
Samsung Folds Samsung Pass Into Samsung Pay
Yoti, which offers a digital ID platform based on the use of facial recognition to confirm the identity of the user, got some attention this week with a new blog post detailing how digital identity technology, and particularly biometric tech, can help to improve maternity care in Kenya. Yoti reports that proof of identity is a problem in rural regions, and argues that digital identity tools could help to solve it:
Digital IDs Could Improve Prenatal Care in Kenya: Yoti
As for the darker side of digital identity, we have a contentious issue. At a recent crypto conference, the Deputy Secretary of the US Treasury Department suggested that it’s going to be necessary to mandate identity requirements for individuals holding unhosted cryptocurrency wallets. Those who share this view believe it would help to fight fraud and money laundering, though there are crypto advocates who believe it would undermine that privacy advantages that help to make cryptocurrency uniquely appealing:
Treasury Department Wants to ID Owners of Unhosted Crypto Wallets
And finally, something a little different, from outside of the emerging digital ID space. A lot of readers proved to be interested in the news that Microsoft has enabled voice controls for its Windows 11 operating system. This means that Microsoft users will be able to interact with their devices through voice commands:
Microsoft Brings Voice Controls to Windows 11
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Keep reading Mobile ID World for the latest news from the world of digital identity. You can also visit our sibling site FindBiometrics to learn more about biometrics.
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