All your ID credentials at hand: welcome to the Digital ID Wallet

Thales' Digital ID Wallet represents the next generation of Mobile ID, creating a secure, smartphone-based home for all the owner's digital identity credentials. 

The result?

It has never been easier to prove we are who we claim to be or access the rights and services to which we are entitled - both online and in the 'real world.' 

What's more, alongside outstanding convenience, the Digital ID Wallet offers citizens complete control over their data, with the freedom to decide exactly what information to share, with whom, and when. 

At the same time, it allows authorities to create companions for physical identity documents that are straightforward to issue, manage and verify, delivering a powerful tool to fight ID fraud, reduce red tape and boost efficiency.

Let's explain.

Bringing the physical  & digital credentials together

Proving that we are who we claim to be is a near-essential element of modern life.

In the real world, we've long relied on physical credentials such as ID cards, health cards, and driving licences to provide the necessary evidence. 

And for online authentication, Mobile ID is already hugely popular.

For the first time, it establishes a reliable all-in-one identity gateway that puts citizens in full control of their data. 

For citizens and document issuers alike, the Digital ID Wallet represents a missing piece in the jigsaw – a trusted environment in which innovative and exciting, user-focused ID initiatives can now realize their full potential.

We're ready for change.

Drawing on extensive feedback from pilot projects, and active participation in the ISO standardization process, Thales has designed a citizen-centric solution highly praised by both end-users and authorities. 

In the company's recent US pilots, 87% of participants said they were highly interested in a Digital ID Wallet integrating all their credentials. 

Indeed, the appetite for a new approach is evident worldwide.

A Thales survey across 11 countries in 2018 found that 70% of citizens would like their identity document on their smartphone, on the crucial proviso that the app was adequately secured. 

Not surprisingly, the market is experiencing rapid expansion, with the report from Mordor Intelligence published in 2022 predicting a 9% CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) for Mobile ID initiatives worldwide (2022-2027), fuelled not only by the digitalisation of identities but also driving licences and healthcare credentials.

The compelling case for a Digital ID Wallet

To this enthusiastic user base, Thales' Digital ID Wallet brings three persuasive value propositions:

• a single, secure source for any number of different identity services;
• digitalization of a comprehensive array of physical credentials and documents;
• an entirely new standard in citizen privacy.

Let's look at each one in a little more detail: 

Identity services on tap

The Digital ID Wallet is characterised by the richness and variety of identity-related services it can support.

So, to open a bank account in a branch, their digitalised ID credentials can be employed just like their physical equivalent for KYC processes. 

But now, the same credential can also be used to complete the task online. 

Similarly, if asked by a police officer to show evidence of their right to drive, citizens always have it to hand, safely embedded in their smartphone. 

And with the ID wallet, that driver's licence is also a gateway to additional information, such as its current status and any endorsements. With the citizen's permission, seamless access to this real-time data can be given to police and other law enforcement officers.  

Significantly, the new ID Wallet reflects the fact that providing proof of identity is far from the full story.

In many use cases, what matters is a particular attribute or entitlement – age, address, the right to vote, or access welfare programmes, for example. 

Crucially, in fulfilling such requests, the wallet enables the holder to share only what is necessary to verify a transaction and nothing more. Consequently, it can facilitate straightforward, authorised access to age-restricted activities such as gambling and purchasing alcohol (both online and in-person) without the holder having to provide unnecessary personal details.

Furthermore, as the digitalisation of public services continues to gather speed, so will the value of the Digital ID Wallet. 

With any number of different credentials kept in a single location on a citizen's smartphone, easy access to an ever-wider array of valued eServices is assured. 

With a single click, users can authenticate themselves to fill out tax returns, pay outstanding speeding fines, get the results of medical check-ups, and so much more besides. 

The benefits of this immediate, 24/7 connection to public services are further enhanced by support for digital signatures, enabling contracts and other agreements to be completed when and where it is most convenient for the user.

• Licences & Entitlement Verification
• ID Proofing
• ID Attribute sharing
• Online Authentication
• Digital Signature

Bringing Digital ID documents together

In terms of sheer convenience and peace of mind for users, the value of bringing multiple, digitalised official ID documents together in the same place, and enabling one-click access to a new generation of eServices, should not be underestimated.

After all, studies show that we are now more likely to leave our wallets at home than our smartphones and that 90% of users have a mobile device within reach at all times. 

With the arrival of the Digital ID wallet, most people can finally ensure that vital digital documents, such as identity and healthcare credentials,  driver licences, vehicle registration, and polling eCards, are always kept and carried in the most secure and convenient location possible.

Putting citizens in control

In addition to a step-change in accessibility, the Digital ID Wallet sets new user privacy and control standards.

While it offers the potential to support any number of different credentials in a single location, each one is securely ring-fenced. 

For example, the issuer of a digital driving licence cannot access data from a digital health card in the same wallet.

What's more, the solution is built on the principle of user consent.

It sounds simple, and it is.

Bringing government and citizens closer together

A Digital ID Wallet on the citizen's smartphone also opens a direct and secure communication channel to any government department or agency that supports it. 

Consequently, citizens can benefit from timely vaccination reminders, receive details on how to participate in forthcoming elections, and be issued efficiently with driving penalties and endorsements. 

Just think about it.

Such an approach adds an entirely new dimension to G2C (government-to-citizen) engagement, making it far more personal and bringing government and citizens closer together.

Building a trusted environment for Digital ID credentials

Losing a physical wallet, or having it stolen, can be nothing short of a nightmare.

ID credentials might provide everything needed to clone an identity in the wrong hands. 

On top of that, cancelling and replacing multiple different physical credentials is a time-consuming and challenging task for citizens.

Contrast that with losing a Digital ID Wallet.

Even the most determined fraudster or criminal will be unable to leverage the citizen's credentials, and the ID wallet can be revoked over the air and in near real-time, making it unusable. 

Besides, if the smartphone is not returned to the rightful owner, all the relevant digital credentials can be downloaded quickly and easily to a new mobile device. 

Indeed, credentials can always be updated remotely. As well as ensuring accuracy, this can spare citizens and issuers the cost and inconvenience of replacing physical documents when they expire or the holder's status changes.

The powerful combination of security and convenience embodied in the Digital ID Wallet is only made possible by Thales' unique blend of expertise and experience. 

While the mobile environment undoubtedly offers tremendous advantages, it also presents significant challenges.

This is why Thales has designed its Mobile Security Core to deliver best-in-class performance, protecting the Digital ID Wallet against advanced threats and malware attacks and fulfilling the highest and most stringent security requirements of governments.  

More precisely, advanced multi-layered security techniques are married to sophisticated encryption to protect sensitive information robustly. 

For governments and citizens alike, the new wallet establishes a dedicated environment where digital identities and credentials can flourish. 

One in which governments and citizens will reap the full benefits of digitalisation in terms of speed, convenience, and efficiency without ever compromising their absolute rights to privacy, security, and control.

Certifications

Thales is the first mobile Driver License (mDL) provider to receive the certification from UL Solutions for meeting the International Organization for Standardization / International Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC) 18013-5 Standard for mDL applications.

Industry Recognition for Digital ID