By Stephen Semigabo – IT Consultant
The evolution of digital identities (IDs) signifies a substantial shift in how governments and organizations manage personal identification. Digital IDs can streamline access to services, enhance security, and improve administrative efficiency. However, their implementation raises critical issues related to data privacy, financial and social inclusion. Balancing these concerns is crucial to ensuring that digital IDs fulfill their potential while safeguarding individual rights and promoting inclusivity.
In 2014, Uganda launched its national ID program under the National Security Information System (NSIS) project, which later became a permanent digital ID system. The biometric digital identity program aimed to enhance security and ease access to public services, including healthcare. The government conducted a nationwide mass registration of citizens for digital national identification cards, capturing biometric data such as fingerprints and facial images of Ugandans above 16 years old, stored in a centralized database. Despite these efforts, over 15 million Ugandans risk exclusion from essential public services and entitlements due to the lack of national digital identity cards.
One of the primary challenges in implementing digital IDs is ensuring robust data protection. The collection, storage, and use of personal information—especially Protected Health Information (PHI), biometric data, DNA, and GPS coordinates—pose significant privacy risks. Centralizing personal data in digital ID systems creates a lucrative target for cyber-attacks, with hackers potentially exploiting vulnerabilities to access and misuse personal information. Thus, stringent security measures such as encryption, secure authentication protocols, and regular security audits are imperative. However, the risk of data breaches cannot be entirely eliminated.
Another critical aspect of data protection is ensuring that individuals have control over their personal information. This includes obtaining explicit consent for data collection and usage and providing individuals with the ability to access, correct, and delete their data. Many digital ID systems struggle with ensuring transparency and granting users sufficient control over their information, raising concerns about potential misuse by governments or private entities.
Effective data protection requires robust legal and regulatory frameworks that enforce stringent standards for data privacy and security. However, the development and implementation of such frameworks vary significantly across countries, potentially infringing on the sovereignty of independent states
While digital IDs have the potential to promote inclusivity by providing individuals with formal identification, they can also exacerbate existing inequalities and create new forms of exclusion. Digital IDs require access to technology, such as smartphones or internet connectivity, which many people in developing countries or remote areas may lack. This digital divide can further entrench existing disparities. Individuals may also lack the digital literacy necessary to navigate digital ID systems. This is particularly relevant for older adults and people with limited education. Ensuring that digital ID systems are user-friendly and providing comprehensive digital literacy training are essential steps to mitigate this issue. The design of digital ID systems must consider the diverse needs of all population groups. This includes ensuring that interfaces are accessible to people with disabilities, providing multilingual support, and addressing gender-specific challenges.
Given these challenges, Ugandan-based civil society organizations (CSOs) sued the government of Uganda over the national digital ID at the Uganda High Court. They highlighted the exclusion of millions of unregistered Ugandans, such as aged persons, vulnerable persons, and persons with disabilities, who are limited from accessing potential life-saving services. The CSOs requested the court to declare that sole reliance on the national ID system to access health services and social benefits is exclusionary and discriminatory, violating human rights.
On March 23, 2023, Uganda’s High Court accepted an ‘Amicus Curiae’ brief from three human rights organizations—Access Now, ARTICLE 19, and the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA)—challenging the country’s national digital identity scheme. The brief presented expert opinions on the potential impact of the digital ID program on human rights, including the right to privacy and freedom of expression, as well as intersecting economic, social, and cultural rights.
While digital IDs offer numerous benefits, their successful implementation hinges on creating legal frameworks that address data protection and social inclusion concerns. By empowering individuals and states with control over their personal information and ensuring systems are accessible and inclusive, it is possible to create digital ID systems that enhance both security and equity globally.