Belgium will make ID and driving license available via app by 2023
In Belgium, the government wants to create a digital wallet by 2023 with which the identity card, driving license and other official documents can be found. The system is being developed at the request of the EU, which expects member states to develop an electronic identity card.
Digital Wallet App
The Belgian State Secretary for Digitization Mathieu Michel (MR) wants important documents to be usable in Belgium in an easy and digital way. He told the newspaper Het Belang Van Limburg that his country should have an app by 2023 with which the identity card and driver’s license can be consulted.
Belgium is making a budget of 50 million euros available for this and the system is partly at the request of the European Union, which wants member states to develop identity documents that are available electronically. Our southern neighbors therefore want to go one step further. “The digital wallet is necessary because we live in a complex state,” said Belgian State Secretary Michel. “The Belgians should not be a victim of the complexity of our government. That is why we need tools to simplify the lives of Belgians.”
The digital wallet should also provide access to other important official documents that can already be consulted via government websites. Think of the marriage certificate, but also of a visa that is obtained.
Security chips
There is still uncertainty about the exact implementation and it is also not yet known how this app should work technically or which party will build it. It is certain that security will play an important role, because it concerns very sensitive information that is bundled in one app.
In the context of such critical information being held on smartphones, people often look towards physical security chips in smartphones. They are able to store the information in a protected environment, separate from the operation of the operating system. At the moment, however, smartphone manufacturers are still meeting behind the scenes about such a standard for security chips or ‘secure elements’. We expect this technology to be implemented in more smartphones soon.
It is not yet known whether it will also be a requirement for Belgians to use such a smartphone with a security chip for the digital wallet. But it seems logical that the government will rely on the services of itsme for authentication. That is the Belgian alternative to our DigiD. What do you think? Do you think the Netherlands should also bundle all our important documents in one app? Let us know in the comments at the bottom of this article.
