With Thales’s new Gemalto Digital ID Wallet, governments will issue a secure digital version of official documents including identity cards, health cards and drivers licenses, available to all citizens on their smartphones. Citizens will therefore be able to prove who they are, both online and in the ‘real world’, and access their rights and services at the touch of a button. The solution uses multi-layered security techniques and sophisticated encryption to achieve robust protection of personal data, whilst offering users complete control over what information they choose to share, with whom, and when.

With an ever-increasing number of governments opting to digitalize official documents, the new wallet will enable citizens to keep all their vital credentials in a single, convenient and secure location. As well as fulfilling the role of traditional paper documents in real world use cases, for example when voting at a polling station, the Digital ID Wallet also supports seamless authentication online. Users can therefore enjoy anytime, anywhere access to a growing range of eServices, such as completing online tax returns and welfare claims.

Fully respecting user privacy, the Digital ID Wallet is designed to only share with third parties information that the citizen is willing to share. So, when accessing age restricted venues such as a casino, the user merely has to demonstrate that they are old enough to do so, not revealing their exact age or identity details.

Governments can dramatically streamline the management and verification of all their official documents, cutting red tape and establishing a powerful weapon against ID theft and fraudulent use of public services. Creating a dynamic communication channel between issuer and user, the Digital ID Wallet also brings governments and citizens closer together. For example, by facilitating timely reminders about vaccinations or being informed our new ePassport is ready for collection through the app notifications.

On top, 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.

“Governments and citizens worldwide are fast-recognizing the multi-dimensional benefits delivered by digitalization of official documents, as a companion to physical documents. The Digital ID Wallet creates a future-proof, citizen-centric ecosystem in which this identity revolution can flourish, meeting the needs of verification and authentication across the physical and online worlds, and leveraging the one item we are most likely to keep within easy reach – our smartphone.” Frédéric Trojani, SVP Identity and biometric solutions, Thales