In a significant move set to shape the future of international travel, air transport technology giant SITA and biometric authentication leader NEC Corporation have announced a strategic collaboration aimed at accelerating the worldwide adoption of digital identity technology.
The partnership will see NEC join SITA’s innovative Digital Travel Ecosystem, a framework designed to overcome the persistent challenges of interoperability and pave the way for seamless, secure, and efficient digital identity verification across the travel industry.
The SITA Digital Travel Ecosystem, developed in conjunction with Indicio, offers an open and interoperable platform that connects disparate systems, enabling real-time verification of digital identities. This groundbreaking approach eliminates the often complex and time-consuming need for direct integrations between the various entities involved in the travel process – from identity issuers to the authorities and organisations needing to verify those identities. By providing a unified framework, SITA aims to significantly simplify the adoption of digital identity solutions for key stakeholders including airports, airlines, and governments worldwide.
A core component of the ecosystem is the Trust Network, which secures sharing of digital credentials on a global scale. Built with a strong emphasis on privacy-by-design principles, the Trust Network empowers travellers by granting them greater control over their personal data, including the ability to decide when and with whom their digital credentials are shared. A core tenet of the system is the robust protection of personal information, ensuring that it remains secure and under the direct control of the individual traveller.
“After years of investment, aviation and other travel stakeholders are now seeing the full potential of digital identities, and the industry is gearing up to scale,” said Jeremy Springall, Senior Vice President of Borders at SITA. “With NEC’s biometric expertise and SITA’s industry-leading footprint of biometric touchpoints around the world, we’re well-positioned to accelerate the transformation of Digital Travel worldwide.”
Mistrust in the global digital ID
However, despite assurances that providers will provide a robust and secure environment for user data, and will make travel more streamlined, at a granular level, concerns regarding privacy, security breaches, and potential for misuse of personal data, as well as the need for interoperability and user trust, remain rife. Potential downsides of global digital IDs for travel could include:
Privacy and Security Concerns
- Data breaches and misuse: A major concern is the vulnerability of digital ID systems to security breaches, which could expose sensitive personal information like passports, driver’s licenses, and other identification details.
- Tracking and surveillance: The ability to track and trace individuals using digital IDs raises concerns about privacy and potential for misuse by governments or private entities.
- Biometric data: The use of biometric data (facial recognition, fingerprints, etc.) in digital IDs adds another layer of vulnerability, as these identifiers are difficult to change or revoke if compromised.
- Lack of control and transparency: Users may have limited control over how their digital ID data is collected, stored, and used, and there may be a lack of transparency regarding the algorithms and systems that process this data.
Interoperability and Adoption Challenges
- Fragmented systems: Different countries and organisations may use different digital ID systems, making it difficult to ensure seamless and interoperable travel experiences.
- Technical issues: Ensuring that digital ID systems are secure, reliable, and accessible to all users, regardless of their technological capabilities, is a significant challenge.
- Compliance burdens: Developing and implementing digital ID systems can be complex and costly, and there may be challenges in ensuring compliance with data protection regulations.
Potential for Discrimination and Exclusion
- Algorithms and bias: Algorithms built on digital ID data can perpetuate existing biases and discrimination, potentially leading to unfair or discriminatory outcomes.
- Social credit systems: The development of digital ID systems in parallel with social credit systems raises concerns about the potential for governments to track and control citizens’ behaviour.
- Exclusion of vulnerable populations: Individuals who lack access to technology or who are hesitant to adopt digital IDs may be excluded from certain services or opportunities.
Digital ID success stories
But the concept of digital IDs – and even the roll out of such systems is not new – and has seen remarkable success. For example, Singapore stands out as a global leader in digital identity with its National Digital Identity (NDI) initiative, underpinned by Singpass. Launched in 2003 and significantly evolved since, Singpass serves as a trusted digital identity for citizens and businesses to securely access a wide range of online services from both government and private sector organisations. The systems boasts:
- High adoption rates: Over 97% of citizens and permanent residents aged 15 and above actively using Singpass. This widespread use is facilitated by a strong digital infrastructure and public trust in the government’s digital initiatives.
- Comprehensive integration: Singpass provides access to over 1,700 services across more than 460 government agencies and private entities. Citizens can use it for everything from accessing healthcare records and CPF (Central Provident Fund) savings to renewing insurance policies and digitally signing documents.
- Advanced features: The NDI ecosystem includes features like Myinfo, a platform for secure data sharing between government agencies with user consent, reducing the need for repeated form-filling. The Singpass Mobile app offers convenient biometric authentication (fingerprint and facial recognition) and a digital document wallet.
- Government-led initiative: Singapore’s success is largely attributed to its top-down, government-led approach. The Government Technology Agency (GovTech) has been instrumental in developing and maintaining the NDI infrastructure, ensuring security and interoperability.
- Focus on convenience and efficiency: The primary drivers for Singapore’s digital ID adoption have been to streamline citizen services, reduce bureaucracy, and enhance the convenience of online transactions.
Demand is on the rise for integrated digital IDs for the travel industry
The demand for interoperable digital identity systems within the travel sector is demonstrably on the rise. According to SITA’s own Air Transport IT Insights 2024 report, a significant 28% of airlines and 43% of airports are actively planning to implement biometric identity management solutions within the next twelve months.
However, the lack of industry-wide standardisation has historically hindered the widespread adoption of these technologies. The collaboration between SITA and NEC directly addresses this critical challenge by providing a scalable and secure framework for the exchange of digital identity information.
By tackling these long-standing interoperability issues head-on, the SITA and NEC partnership is poised to significantly increase the adoption of digital identities among passengers globally.
The increased adoption promises to deliver a multitude of benefits to the travel industry, including a reduction in bottlenecks and queues at various touchpoints, enhanced security measures throughout the travel journey, and a noticeably improved overall passenger experience.
“NEC brings more than 125 years of innovation and a global track record in trusted identity technologies,” said Nanaumi Nagamine, Senior Director of the DID Department at NEC. “With SITA, we’ve delivered proven biometric solutions at airports around the world, creating secure and seamless travel experiences for thousands of passengers every day. This expanded collaboration will accelerate global adoption and set a new standard for trusted digital identity in travel.”
