Infocomm Media Dev Agency (IMDA) Encourage wider acceptance of digital identification
It is heartening to see that Singapore is leading the way in digital innovation and the digitalisation of government services.

One of the greatest breakthroughs is the implementation of SingPass and MyInfo across many government services and financial institutions.

SingPass allows one-stop access to all our personal information. However, it is disappointing that some government offices still require a physical NRIC to be presented to them for identity verification.

This requirement for physical identification documents places hurdles before our Smart Nation push and future-proofing efforts.

Our digital NRIC in the SingPass app should act as an equivalent substitute for the actual card. Several countries such as China and Australia have implemented or are in the process of moving towards digital identification documents.

Having a physical identity card or driver's licence will only raise the risk of owners misplacing them and for them to get lost, stolen or be subject to identity theft.

In contrast, a digital identification document will have fingerprint or security PIN functions, the ability to mask certain details of your personal data unless required, and a seamless integration with other government systems.

There should be an initiative developed to encourage more widespread adoption and acceptance of our SingPass digital NRICs and also to have driving licences issued digitally.

Additionally, our digital NRICs should have a photo for identification, too.

Andy Low

Source: https://www.straitstimes.com/forum/forum-encourage-wider-acceptance-of-digital-identification

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