The scope of citizen digital identity used to cover mostly online authentication and electronic signatures (eID) in interactions with the government. But the scope and needs for digital identity is quickly expanding beyond those boundaries.
A few examples are:
Bring your own identity (BYOI) enables citizens to use their banking or mobile operator logon to access government services — and vice versa.
Identity wallets can enable individual consent for sharing identity data or affirmation of claims with a third party, for example, when buying age-restricted goods — online or offline.
Identity proofing can be used for onboarding new users, remote interactions like court hearings or in-person visitor management systems.
Delegating authority between individuals (e.g., family members) or from an organization (e.g., company representatives) becomes increasingly important.
Digital identity makes the difference between more- and less-advanced digital governments. But traditional ecosystems boundaries between “citizen,” “consumer,” “patient,” “student” and other identity domains are starting to blur. Public- and private-sector interest in more decentralized digital identity approaches is accelerating.
By 2024, at least a third of national governments and half of U.S. states will offer citizens mobile-based identity wallets. But only a minority will be interoperable across sectors and jurisdictions. The pressure is, therefore, high on governments to make digital identity work at scale.