ABSTRACT
One key dimension of development that has been positively impacted by the digital revolution is identity management. Steadily, digital or electronic ID systems have been replacing paper-based identification systems globally. Some developing countries have already established comprehensive electronic or e-ID systems based on the issuance of single national identification cards to citizens that consolidate most other existing forms of identification documents. Robust identification, on the one hand, through e-ID schemes, is linked to the promotion of inclusive growth and development through the attainment of goals such as the eradication of poverty, universal access to education and healthcare, access to economic opportunities, the expansion of social protection and promoting gender equality. On the other hand, such systems have been the subject of widespread concerns related to the potential threat to privacy, security and human rights. This chapter thus examines the drivers as well as the potential benefits and pitfalls associated with the rise of digital or e-ID systems.
