Guest article provided by Marnix van den Bent, Datakeeper
Marnix van den Bent (Co-founder & CTO Datakeeper) shares his passion on digital identity wallets on Day 2 at Identity Week Europe 2023.
In today’s digital age, the real estate sector is undergoing a significant transformation fuelled by technological advancements and regulatory developments. One of the key innovations driving this change is the emergence of data wallets. Digital wallets, also known as personal data vaults or identity wallets, provide individuals with a secure and efficient way to manage and control their personal information. In this article, we will explore how data wallets are becoming increasingly prevalent in the real estate sector, revolutionizing traditional processes.
What are Digital Wallets?
Digital identity wallets, usually in the form of mobile apps, allow individuals to securely obtain, store and manage their personal data. These wallets employ advanced encryption techniques to safeguard sensitive information and provide users with insights in, and control over their personal data. By empowering individuals to manage their data, data wallets offer increased privacy and security in an increasingly data-driven world.
A good example of a data wallet is Datakeeper. With the Datakeeper app, consumers can quickly, easily and securely share personal data with companies. Datakeeper sends a pre-verified, minimised set of personal data after the consumer gives consent. Real estate professionals save time, reduce costs and, more importantly, rapidly provide clarity to consumers.
Increasing Prevalence of Data Wallets
The real estate sector has long grappled with legacy systems and manual procedures that increase the risk of errors and fraud. Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures can be labor-intensive, involving multiple parties and extensive documentation. In addition to that, data protection regulations such as GDPR forces to organizations to reconsider which kinds of personal information are strictly necessary for their processes. Data wallets present an opportunity to leapfrog traditional procedures and noncompliant data processing.
Leapfrogging into New Technologies
Rather than simply digitising existing processes, the real estate sector is actively embracing data wallets to revolutionise its operations. Data wallets enable opportunities to automate tasks all the way from simple identity verifications to entire mortgage applications. This leapfrogging approach not only improves efficiency but also enhances data accuracy and transparency in real estate transactions.
New Use Cases: KYC and Mortgages
Datakeeper already boosts the real estate sector for KYC procedures and mortgage applications. KYC procedures involve verifying the identities of buyers, sellers, and other parties involved in real estate transactions.
For example, this allows the identification of Ultimate Beneficial Owners. Similarly, the mortgage application process, which traditionally involves extensive paperwork, can be simplified and accelerated through the use of data wallets. Delays due to manual document checking is minimised.
The government has fact-checked a number of Frequently Asked Questions and misconceptions about the proposed draft legislation to support inter-governmental data sharing between departments in the UK Government.
The consultation, which occurred between January and March 2023, lodged a proposal to maximise the accessibility of citizen’s authentication and verification data when they use a public service with other departments and services within the government.
In adjacent to the legislation being passed, the government has been finalising the expected rollout of the new cross-government GOV.UK One Login system which will unify 190+ different login route-ways to one access portal to public services. One Login users can register an account, sign in and verify themselves in a privacy-preserving and remote way which will be underpinned by the most sophisticated digital identity, giving users a joined up and personalised online experience for a variety of services offered by the public sector.
The enduring preparation of One Login – with the Government digital Service announcing in 2021 the start of the programme – is testimony of a watershed moment to come when One Login is implemented. It unifies the favourable benefits for the government by removing barriers to broad service integration, accelerating digital transformation with a standardised platform and managing sign-on and identity checking. An extension to making One Login available across other departments, One Login offers a new centralised solution that optimises all operations throughout government and how public services are delivered.
The legislation builds on allowing the One Login system and citizen’s data to be extrapolated and leveraged across federated government to simply the repeated secure login process. Both plans promise to create a single online account for users to access all the public services they are entitled to as national citizens and simplify verification.
On mobile and online devices, the UK government is steering away from having autonomy over data and is giving users visibility and control of their own decentralised digital identity, even though the solution is “centralising” identity checks across federated government. They have control over what and how their data is shared and determine ‘reusable proof’ of identity can be saved and remembered for future authentication.
Fraud prevention is strengthened by the proposed authenticating system. Discrediting false hopes around One Login, the fact page – which can be found on gov.uk – denies creating a mandatory digital or physical ID card and says people will be able to “access the services they need, without creating mandatory ID cards”.
Using One Login will not be the only enforced option as inclusion is still a factor that has be focused on in encouraging all sections of society to adopt online onboarding. Offline and face-to-face offices will still be available for individuals, especially older people, who do not want to use the online service.
Cybersecurity is a “priority” for the government and a redesign system reducing over 190 different access logins to 1 will “protect users and their data” to ensure the “security and integrity of online government services”.
One Login is not used for other purposes other than verifying someone’s identity to allow legitimate identity access; consent is not required from citizens for these purposes.
Four pilot projects are testing use cases across travel, healthcare, banking and education for the European digital identity wallet which is expected to launch in 2024.
In total, €90 million has been invested into the wallet ecosystem, which receives 50% funding from the European Commission and a further €46 million from the Digital Europe Programme will go towards piloting and supporting the successful implementation of the wallet and eIDAS 2.
The wallet proposal aims to enhance secure cross-border and international transactions of data for individuals and businesses around a diverse range of use cases, for example:
Payments
Presenting medical records and subscriptions
Signing electronic documents
Non-connectivity verification
Displaying mobile driving licenses
Simplifying travel and occupancy in other member states, the EUDI wallet plans also encompass interoperability for privacy and the development of technical specifications through the pilots. However each country will design and build their own technical infrastructure to support equitable access to their public and private sectors.
The exploration of pilots financed by the European Commission will also help member states prepare for the drafted European Digital Identity Regulation.
Banking groups under the European Credit Sector Association recently supported the EU digital identity wallet directive but called for payments to be omitted from the framework over the language it uses to suggest fraud victims could expect reimbursements from banks.
IT infrastructure provider, Kyndryl and Credence ID, a leading provider of biometric authentication, have joined forces to collaborate on the deployment of a digital ID enabling solution that facilitates use mobile payment transactions using driver’s licenses.
Credence ID is offering its latest technology called Verify with Credence™ which streamlines tapping or scanning a mobile driver’s license to verify the user and enable a seamless user experience across the Scottsdale Arizona Motor Vehicle Division.
Bruce Hanson, CEO of Credence ID said:
“Our digital ID verification solution has been designed to meet the evolving needs of modern society, where mobile devices are the norm,’ said Bruce Hanson, CEO of Credence ID. ‘By collaborating with Kyndryl, we can offer a complete end-to-end solution that is scalable and convenient. We are excited to be part of this innovation and look forward to the benefits it will bring to the AZ MVD and its customers.”
The digital ID acceptance solution can verify mobile driving licenses to facilitate transactions using biometrics in the user’s mobile or in the hosting app or wallet. The tap or scan function at the AZ MVD complies with all ISO18013-5-compliant digital wallets.
“We are delighted Credence ID has joined us to offer this innovative solution to the Arizona MVD,’ said Brian Shell, Senior Partner at Kyndryl US. ‘AZ MVD is always quick to embrace and pioneer new technologies that improve the citizen experience. This project is a perfect example of how IT services can be used to transform processes, making them more efficient, secure, and customer friendly.”
Another data misuse allegation was levelled against Facebook-owned Meta Platforms on Monday with Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) issuing an unprecedented $1.3 Billion fine following investigation.
Violating privacy rules in data transfers to the U.S., the regulator imposed the sanction on Meta amid calls to review surveillance changes over the group’s data handling.
Earlier this month Identityweek.net reported sanctions against Meta for profiteering from children’s data to sell virtual reality products in the Facebook messenger app, unbeknown to parents trying to safeguard their children’s safety. Meta argued that there was nothing untoward in their actions to process users’ data to deliver personalised services and advertising campaigns as users accepted the terms of the service.
The fines staked up in November 2022 as the DPC imposed sanctions over the infringement of EU data protection rules.
The record-breaking fine this time has brought fresh scrutiny over all of Meta’s actions to flout data protection to the foreground.
Ireland’s Data Protection Commission, headquartered in Dublin, criticised Meta’s loose changes which failed to “address the risks to the fundamental rights and freedoms” of such transfers in 2020.
Nick Clegg, Meta’s President of Global Affairs, said that many companies were also using the same legal mechanism. Facebook’s umbrella company Meta now has 5 months to seize processing, storing and using EU protected users’ data to transfer with the U.S.
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With an imminent report to be published detailing a roadmap for age verification on adult sites, Australia’s Communications Minister, Michelle Rowland has hinted at taking a holistic approach to rolling out a national digital ID and reforming the Privacy Act.
She stated the government is exploring digital identifiers to manage identity access across numerous government portfolios public-facing services.
“We’re working through this methodically” she said.
Parliament’s Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs in 2020 recommended stringent enforcement and compliance with mandatory age verification filters before viewers could access and view porn material online. Online pornography is commonly associated with negative impacts on young people’s development and often skewed ideas of relationships, sex, sexuality and even gender, justifying facial recognition technology despite some “troubling” views around privacy and unnecessary data retention.
A variety of age verification approaches seem to have been whittled down to the proposal of checks based on government-issued national ID that everyone can obtain, allowing at the same time access to a host of government sites.
She stressed she intends the report to quash user concerns of handing over their digital data:
“We’re in an environment in Australia where people are reticent to give over their data … We have every intention of bringing this to a conclusion and releasing the report,” Rowland said.
“The evidence was clear that exposure to online pornography is associated with terrible harms to young people’s health, education, relationships, and wellbeing,” the committee chair, LNP MP Andrew Wallace said.
In 2029 the UK dropped a total ban on holding websites accountable for not using facial recognition solutions to block minors amid privacy concerns.
WhatsApp is introducing an additional layer of security to protect private or “intimate” conversations from being easily viewed when the app is open.
Chat Lock is a user privacy tool which will upgrade the current chat “archive” option on the popular messaging app. The user can opt to hide conversations from other active chats behind password or biometric authentication.
“Intimidate” chats can be protected from obvious viewing, with some arguing that the feature could an ulterior purpose to conceal affairs or secretive conversations.
Whatapp describes on its website what purposes Chat Lock may be useful for, for example to hide notifications when a “special chat” arrives while someone else is holding the phone.
By tapping a group or 1-2-1 contact’s name, users that may be prone to sharing their phone with family members of friends can easily archive these chats and receive discreet notifications that keep the sender anonymous.
WhatsApp is a highly secure end-to-end encryption platform which delivers total privacy to users, however such strong security is detrimental to retrieving messages used as part of criminal prosecutions. With the police forces encountering this issue too, upcoming legislation may weaken end-to-end encryption on the service, endangering WhatsApp’s future longevity if the bill is passed.
Daniel Goldscheider, Founder of the Open Wallet Foundation speaks to Identityweek.net ahead of his panel discussion on identity and digital wallets at Identity Week Europe. He acknowledges that technology innovation has entered a new state of play with the combination of crypto, bitcoin and our valuable digital credentials with wallets.
The foundation is extremely valuable in the field and focuses on the development of open standards to underpin the variety of commercial wallets solutions available from vendors like Google and Apple.
The interview discusses the pros and cons of competition within the wallet market as the largest technology vendors capitalise on the new revenue opportunity. Our Editor, Evie Kim Sing, asks whether so many different wallets contributes to innovation or is detrimental to interoperability and compliance with open standards.
The fragmentation of their design and development impacts the security of wallets while customers are being encouraged to store all their digital, identity and payments credentials in one place. Daniel gives his take on how the security design of these wallets will be navigated by vendors as a challenge to adoption.
Asked whether every sector is taking a stake in the wallets, he said:
“Some people in the (identity) industry think wallets are about digital identity. People in the credit card world would say digital identity wallets are important because they hold tokenised credit and debit cards. The wallets are all of these use cases and so much more – holding everything from academic to healthcare credentials, digital keys to cryptocurrencies”.
The interview covers:
What is the role of associations/foundations in the field? How has the Open Wallet Foundation evolved and what is the added value in participating?
How have ISO versus open standards evolved?
Do sectors like finance or government need to take a bigger stake in identity wallets, with payment or digital credentials?
Do you think the competition of different wallets is beneficial for innovation or is detrimental to interoperability?
What is the current standard of security in wallets? How can they be made more secure?
Daniel will be speaking more on the theme of verification for wallets on Day 2 at Identity Week Europe 2023, which will take place at the RAI, Amsterdam from 13-14 June.
The Land Transportation Office has cited a shortage of plastic drivers’ licenses and said it will soon launch digital cards to manage the severe backlog.
On May 2, the LTO issued a statement recording a shortage of 234,149 cards, affecting the overall efficiency of issuing drivers’ ID cards across a number of its centres in various regions, with the most affected area reporting a backlog of 32,400 licenses.
The Land Transportation Office plan to integrate electronic drivers’ license into a “super app”, similar to a wallet which stores multiple digital credentials.
They will continue to procure physical cards as well as securing source codes of the Land Transportation Management System from their supplier, Dermalog to issue digital licenses.
Seven suppliers are in the bidding war to supply 5.2 million additional drivers’ license cards which begins on 24 May. The mitigate supply issues in the future, the LTO is seeking a multi-year contracting deal and will divide the production of cards over this year and next year.
Senator Grace Poe issued a statement asking for transparency of the failings and supplier problems.
“We ask the LTO to give the public a complete report on its backlog on vehicle plates and license cards to give a complete picture of the issues it is facing. With this, we also expect to know its timeline for clearing its deficiencies and how it will do it”.
Final arrangements are being made to bring you the next edition of Identity Week Europe.
With over 4,000 attendees set to come, the event will be the most thought-leading conference to-date with key players in the room and sharing their insights on stage and ground-breaking solutions being presented to match industry demand. We are thrilled that you are joining us on the 13-14 June and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome you through the door. Upgrade to a full conference pass now to access every track and 100+ expert sessions across 2 days.
The full conference agenda is finalised and speaks for itself in cultivating a show that has experts from each key sector and domain of identity and digital represented.
Our latest speaker to announce who will be delivering a solo analysis of The Netherlands’ Smart Digital ID Wallet is Michiel van der Veen, Director of Innovation, RvIG!
The Netherlands is a central location where many European stakeholders interplay, and diving headfirst into its kingdom-wide wallet strategy, The Netherland’s pulse on innovation has been emulated elsewhere in Europe for technical and trust interoperability.
Dr Michiel van der Veen, Director of Innovation at the Netherlands Ministry of Interior and Kingdom Relations, will showcase the country’s efforts, successes, and the way forward for a compliant and accessible identity wallet.
With the impending EU digital wallet promising complete interoperability but allowing countries to devise their own systems of digital credentials in one place, it is a popular topic that permeates through the conference agenda.
E.g. Panel: “Creating an Accessible and Frictionless Digital ID Wallet”
This cross-industry panel tackles the idea of creating an accessible and interoperable digital ID wallet.
Build38 assists government and private sector partners in protecting users’ data and sovereign digital identity in various mobile applications and wallets. This strength of enabling the whole industry to be a master of their own data is unlocking commercial opportunities and changing the way services are delivered to consumers.
With easy application, Build38 integrates mobile application solution technology with artificial intelligence and app shielding technology to protect data integrity in new mobile applications and allow ownership to be returned to the user.
The software solutions specialises in mobile security as more applications are enabling us to transact and present digital credentials through our phones.
In 60 seconds, CEO of Build38, Christian Schlaeger outlined Build38’s solution for in-app protection.
What aspect of mobile app security led you to start your company?
You protect data for companies – how important is this currently within the private ecosystem and government?
What trends are emerging regarding data privacy and giving users back the control over their data sharing?
Six fintech startups mastering blockchain and crypto decentralised solutions have signed up to be elevated through Mastercard’s Start Path Digital Assets program.
The startup engagement programme offers bespoke training to boost marketability of solutions and increase convergence between new technology phenomenons likes the metaverse and commerce, in particular the financial services.
Diversifying payment methods, Mastercard is changing consumer habits to embrace digital cards and wallets based on secure blockchain, decentralised cross-border transactions. The future of crypto, digital currency is being unlocked and expanding our financial assets.
Each of the startups selected to participate in the programme have reached a seed or Series A capital and created a product fit for the market evolving into more digital assets, cryptocurrencies, blockchain value services and the metaverse.
The startups including Suberra, RociFi Labs and Coala Pay will join an academy of 350 companies from 42 countries that have already embarked on Start Path and yielded impressive market results, entered new domains and secured commercial partnerships with Mastercard.
While accelerating the blockchain to create a hybrid digital and crypto economy, Mastercard said it remains guided by its foundational principles of stability, regulatory compliance and consumer protection simultaneously as building global networks.
Startups that are interested in joining the Start Path Digital Assets program can apply here, through Mastercards wesbite.
We can’t wait to welcome you through the doors at the RAI, Amsterdam in June for Identity Week Europe 2023.
We wanted to take the opportunity to outline some of the incredible content you may be missing out on without a full conference pass, as NOW is the time to upgrade.
Identity Week Europeis the premier event for the identity industry, bringing together industry leaders, experts, and innovators from around the world.
With a paid ticket, you’ll have access to a wide range of premium identity content, over 250 speakers, panels and networking opportunities that you won’t find anywhere else. Take a look below at some of the full conference features…
Session:Establishing Secure Digital Identity in the Metaverse: the Santander Story
Ildefonso is the CDiO Customer & Innovation at Santander UK and is leading the design, build and run across all self-service channel platforms across all business domains.
He also looks after Research & Development and proofs of concepts as well as delivering high profile innovation programmes – Apple Pay, OnePay FX, the blockchain-based international payments service to retail customers.
The Meta empire could be hit with sanctions by The Federal Trade Commission for misusing and profiteering from children’s data to sell virtual reality products and target harmful advertising campaigns.
Other social media networks such as Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram – which are all managed under the Meta Group – would be subject to pay a $5 million penalty following a privacy review which unveiled significant flaws and weaknesses in their protocols to protect children in online forums and messaging apps.
Facebook has “repeatedly” fallen below “privacy promises” warranting the sanction, said Samuel Levine, director of the Commission’s consumer protection bureau.
In December, Meta’s targeted advertising plans were accepted but with a warning on adhering to privacy standards by the EDPB, a body that ensures GDPR compliance.
Expanding restrictions on Meta’s use of facial recognition technology, the Federal Trade Commission has insisted that Meta must seek consent to collect personal data from user verification.
One of the largest tech companies, Google, is changing the habitual use of passwords on World Password Day with the replacement of authentication secure passkeys.
Apple and Microsoft have also conformed to ditch the passwords implementing passkey technology in iOS16 and the latest MacOS model to cut out the risks of complacent password setting, phishing, password theft and bots.
In place of passcodes, user accounts with Google, Apple and Microsoft can embrace fingerprint and facial ID mobile authentication that ensures faster, frictionless logins.
Users can generate as many passkeys as they wish to expand their security protections on multiple devices. The substitution of passwords for passkeys also evolves GDPR and mitigates the problems of systems recognising personal logins during authentication as users will be required to verify their identity each time using facial and fingerprint recognition technology.
The operating system or app manages passkeys shared between devices. Google said that the uptake of passkeys signalled the “beginning of the end” for easily penetrable passwords.
Ghana along with four other African countries has signed the Smart Africa Trust Alliance (SATA) agenda on data and digital identity interoperability, which holds accountability to private and public entities combined with trust frameworks.
The other countries in agreement include Gabon, Guinea, Zimbabwe, and Tunisia. The Communication and Digitalisation Minister Ursula Owusu-Ekuful welcomed the consortium’s alliance on interoperable digital identity systems which she expressed would enable an uptake in public digital services and private sector operations as well as ensure compatibility and compliance on data protection and privacy.
“The SATA declaration also will enhance additional revenues from higher service and platform usage… More so, it will reduce government bureaucracy when working or travelling in another country, save time or money”
It’s second time lucky for the revival of Kenya’s digital identity programme.
The Huduma Number scheme, pursued by the previous administration, was blocked as it conflicted with and violated the KDPA. Coinciding with the inception of the first Huduma Centre in Kenya, the flagship project encapsulating Kenya’s Vision 2030 was launched by Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta in 2013 as part of the Mid-term plan for 2013-17.
The incoming digital identity programme is likely to echo past initiatives in facilitating registration processes and consolidating a master database that holds a single record of someone’s identity. While announcing that digital IDs would be delivered for Kenyans in 2023, President Ruto stopped short of describing the programme’s focus more than on digital identity. Comparisons will undoubtedly be made with the Huduma Namba scheme, but be rethought to pass the courts this time around in terms of data protection.
“I don’t want to call it Huduma Namba! Let’s look at it from a conceptual perspective. What we’re talking about here is a digital identity. You can call it Huduma Number, you can call it any other name.”
The Ministry of ICT will begin working on a digital identity for Nigeria to onboard citizens and allow access to government services. Deploying the first mobile digital infrastructure in Africa with a suite of digital ID services, Nigeria is the Africa’s largest country circulating over 21.15 million IDs to citizens.
“We can finally have a scanner, a digital identity. By the end of this year (2023), Kenyans must be able to identify themselves digitally”.
Over 10 years the Secure Identity Alliance (SIA) has evolved from an advocacy vehicle to identify needs in the market that preceded the EU Digital ID wallet, setting missing standards for interoperability with public and private company members and government.
This carved out the OSIA Initiative which promotes competition, innovation and sustainability between the ecosystem and seamless connectivity between interfaces with open standards.
This Part 1 interview with Stephanie Delabriolle, at the SIA covered these areas:
What difference has OSIA’s specifications made to the ID ecosystem?
Much is being made of compliance frameworks – is there enough focus on usability?
Do you think competition in the marketplace is making it more difficult to achieve interoperable systems?
Is a decentralised approach to data the best practice in implementing and accelerating national identity programmes?
What are your views on interoperability and governing standards with the European digital identity wallet?
Identityweek.net will also be speaking to Debora Comparin, Chair of the OSIA Initiative, in a Part 2 interview to discuss the added value of a non-profit organisation like the SIA in the market, expanding on what role associations have in the field, how this has evolved and what is the added value in participating. She will discuss the evolution of ISO versus open standards and stress the value of collaboration to ensuring interoperability, analysing Open standards and Open Source trends, relations among non-profit (GAIN) and market changes.
SIA joined The Global Assured Identity Network Initiative (GAIN) to strengthen accountability over the world wide web, endorsing a trust layer and accountability to increase its conformity with interoperable privacy and security.
The Swedish digital identity provider Bank ID – the largest such service in Sweden owned by several banks – is to develop a QR coded digital ID card that can be stored on a smartphone as proof of identity to merchant and companies that use BankID. Holders must verify their identity first in the BankID app.
The digital ID card will have the same features as a physical card including features like the person’s photo, name, personal identity number and age.
To obtain a BankID customers can present one of two secure ID documents, either a passport or national ID card that has a chip.
The ID card can be unlocked by verifying yourself with a security code, fingerprint or FaceID.
First adopted by Swedenbank, BankID is used widely by more than 6000 businesses and organisations and even leveraged in the first phase of development on the European Identity Wallet.
