Digital Identity

PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST IN DIGITAL ID SYSTEMS

Digital identification systems are more dangerous than you think. They can undermine people’s privacy, increase surveillance, and push the most vulnerable among us further to the margins. We challenge those promoting these systems to first consider alternative solutions and, when a digital ID system is appropriate, to center human rights in its design and implementation.

#WhyID

An open letter to the leaders of international development banks, the United Nations, international aid organisations, funding agencies, and national governments

Resources

Digital ID Systems

Data Protection

Open letter: World Bank and its donors must protect human rights in digital ID systems

Access Now and partners urge the World Bank to immediately stop activities that promote harmful models of digital ID systems.

mitos big ID human rights

Data Protection

Busting Big ID’s myths

Big ID programs threaten our human rights yet are spreading like wildfire around the world. To buck the trend, we need to debunk the myths that propel digital ID systems forward.

Digital ID Systems

Data Protection

Go back to the drawing board: Kenya must scrap unconstitutional Huduma Bill 2021

Civil society organizations are calling on the Kenyan parliament to immediately scrap the unconstitutional Huduma Bill 2021.

amicus brief Colombia Coronapp

Data Protection

Biometric ID in Tunisia: a threat to privacy and data protection

Authorities in Tunisia have been deliberating over a biometric ID law that bears threats to the right to privacy & other fundamental rights.

Tunisia biometric passports

Privacy

Iris scanning of refugees is disproportionate and dangerous — What’s happening behind IrisGuard’s closed doors?

Refugees should not be required to hand over personal biometric data in exchange for basic needs such as purchasing food. However, iris scan tech is reportedly being used by the World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees (UNHCR) in Jordan.

Digital ID Systems

Digital Identity Systems

The Jamaica NIDS digital identification program: a cautionary tale​​

Lawmakers pushed through the Jamaica NIDS digital ID program without taking enough time to listen to civil society concerns. Here’s what other countries can learn from the flawed process.

amicus brief Colombia Coronapp

Covid-19

Protocol for exclusion: why COVID-19 vaccine “passports” threaten human rights

As the global COVID-19 vaccine rollout gains momentum, governments are clamoring to implement measures to help the world return to pre-virus normality. This includes exploring digital vaccine certificates — or COVID-19 vaccine “passports”. Current proposals, however, threaten human rights.

What are digital identification systems?

Digital identification or “digital ID” systems are those that use digital technology to establish the identity of an individual. More often than not, they refer to systems that aim to establish the legal identity of a person through processes of data capture, validation, storage, transfer, verification, authentication, and management. This can include different aspects of a person’s legal identity as it pertains to their relationships with authorities, or only a specific aspect of it, such as voting or travel.

Why do they matter?

The deployment of digital identification systems, by their very nature, affects every aspect of human life, including the rights to education, healthcare, work, freedom of movement, and autonomy. The heightened risk of surveillance that digital identification systems entail is rapidly undermining people’s privacy all over the world, and as a consequence, pushing the most vulnerable among us further to the margins of society, deepening existing inequalities, and further harming human rights. Access Now challenges those advancing these systems to first consider alternative solutions and, where ID systems are appropriate, to center human rights in their design and implementation.

Latest Updates

Exigimos que las personas puedan #MigrarSinVigilancia: ¡No a la recolección e intercambio masivo de datos biométricos de personas migrantes!
Digital Identity Systems
Digital Identity Systems

Guatemala, Honduras y El Salvador se abstienen de entregar información sobre el tratamiento de datos biométricos de personas migrantes

10 Mar 2023

Guatemala, Honduras y El Salvador denegaron información sobre los acuerdos para el tratamiento de datos biométricos de personas migrantes.

Press Release
Guatemala, Honduras y El Salvador se abstienen de entregar información sobre el tratamiento de datos biométricos de personas migrantes
10 Mar 2023
Guatemala, Honduras y El Salvador se abstienen de entregar información sobre el tratamiento de datos biométricos de personas migrantes
Digital Identity Systems
Digital Identity Systems

Human rights organizations and associations call for the Tunisian government to postpone the launch of digital platform for subsidies compensation

27 Feb 2023

The undersigned organizations and associations call on the Tunisian government to postpone launching a digital platform for subsidies compensation.

Press Release
Human rights organizations and associations call for the Tunisian government to postpone the launch of digital platform for subsidies compensation
27 Feb 2023
Human rights organizations and associations call for the Tunisian government to postpone the launch of digital platform for subsidies compensation
Access Now Oral-statement-to-UN-Global-Digital-Compact-post-header
Content Governance
Content Governance

Access Now oral statement to the UN Global Digital Compact Informal Consultations with Member States and Stakeholders

3 Feb 2023

Access Now’s Senior UN Advocacy Officer Laura O’Brien delivered an oral statement to the UN Global Digital Compact Informal Consultations with Member States and Stakeholders on Feb 3 2023.

Publication
Access Now oral statement to the UN Global Digital Compact Informal Consultations with Member States and Stakeholders
3 Feb 2023
Access Now oral statement to the UN Global Digital Compact Informal Consultations with Member States and Stakeholders
América Latina: Lo mejor y lo peor en derechos digitales durante el 2022 
Data Protection
Data Protection

América Latina: Lo mejor y lo peor en derechos digitales durante el 2022 

22 Dec 2022
Post
América Latina: Lo mejor y lo peor en derechos digitales durante el 2022 
22 Dec 2022
América Latina: Lo mejor y lo peor en derechos digitales durante el 2022 
Digital ID Systems
Data Protection
Data Protection

Digital identity: Our five calls to action for the World Bank

28 Sep 2022

For the second year in a row, the World Bank is leaving digital identity programs off the agenda for its annual summit. Here’s why we need urgent action to stop further human rights abuse, exclusion, marginalization, and surveillance.

Post
Digital identity: Our five calls to action for the World Bank
28 Sep 2022
Digital identity: Our five calls to action for the World Bank
ITFlows artificial intelligence
Data Protection
Data Protection

Stop the EUMigraTool rollout: predictive AI systems have no place in EU migration policies

27 Sep 2022

Access Now and partners call on the ITFlows Consortium to withdraw the EUMigraTool and stop developing technologies that violate fundamental rights.

Press Release
Stop the EUMigraTool rollout: predictive AI systems have no place in EU migration policies
27 Sep 2022
Stop the EUMigraTool rollout: predictive AI systems have no place in EU migration policies
ITFlows artificial intelligence
Data Protection
Data Protection

Open letter to the ITFlows Consortium: stop tech tools for predicting migration that can be repurposed to violate fundamental rights

27 Sep 2022

Through an open letter, Access Now and partners call on the ITFlows Consortium to immediately withdraw the dangerous EUMigraTool.

Press Release
Open letter to the ITFlows Consortium: stop tech tools for predicting migration that can be repurposed to violate fundamental rights
27 Sep 2022
Open letter to the ITFlows Consortium: stop tech tools for predicting migration that can be repurposed to violate fundamental rights
Exigimos que las personas puedan #MigrarSinVigilancia: ¡No a la recolección e intercambio masivo de datos biométricos de personas migrantes!|Exigimos que las personas puedan #MigrarSinVigilancia: ¡No a la recolección e intercambio masivo de datos biométricos de personas migrantes!
Data Protection
Data Protection

Exigimos que las personas puedan #MigrarSinVigilancia: ¡No a la recolección e intercambio masivo de datos biométricos de personas migrantes!

21 Sep 2022
Post
Exigimos que las personas puedan #MigrarSinVigilancia: ¡No a la recolección e intercambio masivo de datos biométricos de personas migrantes!
21 Sep 2022
Exigimos que las personas puedan #MigrarSinVigilancia: ¡No a la recolección e intercambio masivo de datos biométricos de personas migrantes!
Digital rights
Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity

UN roundup and delegate guide: digital rights at the United Nations

14 Sep 2022

Our new brief tracks progress on digital rights at the UN, providing recommendations for advancing international norms and standards to safeguard human rights online. 

Publication
UN roundup and delegate guide: digital rights at the United Nations
14 Sep 2022
UN roundup and delegate guide: digital rights at the United Nations
Digital Identity Systems
Digital Identity Systems

Global Leaders of Digital Human Rights: Marianne Díaz Hernández recognized as international changemaker

12 Sep 2022

Access Now is proud of Marianne Díaz Hernández, #WhyID Campaigner at Access Now, and her recognition as one of Ouano Foundation’s 2022 Global Leaders of Digital Human Rights.

Press Release
Global Leaders of Digital Human Rights: Marianne Díaz Hernández recognized as international changemaker
12 Sep 2022
Global Leaders of Digital Human Rights: Marianne Díaz Hernández recognized as international changemaker
sistemas de identificación digital
Data Protection
Data Protection

Carta abierta: El Banco Mundial y sus donantes deben proteger los derechos humanos en los sistemas de identificación digital

7 Sep 2022

Organizaciones de la sociedad civil están llamando al Banco Mundial a que cese de apoyar sistemas de identificación digital no verificados.

Press Release
Carta abierta: El Banco Mundial y sus donantes deben proteger los derechos humanos en los sistemas de identificación digital
7 Sep 2022
Carta abierta: El Banco Mundial y sus donantes deben proteger los derechos humanos en los sistemas de identificación digital
Digital ID Systems
Data Protection
Data Protection

#WhyID: World Bank and dangerous digital ID systems do not mix

7 Sep 2022

Access Now and partners are calling on the World Bank to stop supporting digital ID systems that enable surveillance, exclusion, and discrimination.

Press Release
#WhyID: World Bank and dangerous digital ID systems do not mix
7 Sep 2022
#WhyID: World Bank and dangerous digital ID systems do not mix
sistemas de identificación digital
Data Protection
Data Protection

#WhyID: El Banco Mundial y los sistemas de identificación digital peligrosos no se mezclan

7 Sep 2022

Organizaciones de la sociedad civil están llamando al Banco Mundial a que cese de apoyar sistemas de identificación digital no verificados.

Press Release
#WhyID: El Banco Mundial y los sistemas de identificación digital peligrosos no se mezclan
7 Sep 2022
#WhyID: El Banco Mundial y los sistemas de identificación digital peligrosos no se mezclan
Digital ID Systems
Data Protection
Data Protection

Open letter: World Bank and its donors must protect human rights in digital ID systems

7 Sep 2022

Access Now and partners urge the World Bank to immediately stop activities that promote harmful models of digital ID systems.

Press Release
Open letter: World Bank and its donors must protect human rights in digital ID systems
7 Sep 2022
Open letter: World Bank and its donors must protect human rights in digital ID systems
Digital ID Systems
Digital Identity Systems
Digital Identity Systems

The Jamaica NIDS digital identification program: a cautionary tale​​

3 Aug 2022

Lawmakers pushed through the Jamaica NIDS digital ID program without taking enough time to listen to civil society concerns. Here’s what other countries can learn from the flawed process.

Post
The Jamaica NIDS digital identification program: a cautionary tale​​
3 Aug 2022
The Jamaica NIDS digital identification program: a cautionary tale​​
header image: pushing back against IMEI registration in Myanmar
Digital Identity Systems
Digital Identity Systems

မြန်မာနိုင်ငံ IMEI အကြောင်း သိကောင်းစရာ –  အာဏာရှင်ဆန့်ကျင်ရေး တော်လှန်ရေး၏ အဓိက ကျသည့် ဆက်သွယ်ရေးကို အာဏာသိမ်း စစ်ကောင်စီက ဘယ်လို ဖြတ်တောက်နိုင်မလဲ။

11 Jul 2022

Myanmar’s proposed IMEI rules raise surveillance and connectivity risks. Telco operators must prepare to push back.

Post
မြန်မာနိုင်ငံ IMEI အကြောင်း သိကောင်းစရာ –  အာဏာရှင်ဆန့်ကျင်ရေး တော်လှန်ရေး၏ အဓိက ကျသည့် ဆက်သွယ်ရေးကို အာဏာသိမ်း စစ်ကောင်စီက ဘယ်လို ဖြတ်တောက်နိုင်မလဲ။
11 Jul 2022
မြန်မာနိုင်ငံ IMEI အကြောင်း သိကောင်းစရာ –  အာဏာရှင်ဆန့်ကျင်ရေး တော်လှန်ရေး၏ အဓိက ကျသည့် ဆက်သွယ်ရေးကို အာဏာသိမ်း စစ်ကောင်စီက ဘယ်လို ဖြတ်တောက်နိုင်မလဲ။