Perspectives on National Digital Identity Systems

National digital identity systems have become a key requirement for easy access to online public services, especially during and after Covid-19. While many countries have adopted a national digital identity system, many are still in the process of establishing one. Through a comparative analysis of the technological and legal dimensions of a few selected national digital identity solutions, we highlight the diversity of technologies and architectures and the importance of the legal framework and data protection acts for the success of a national digital identity system. We also identify a number of key issues related to the implementation and operation of these systems, discuss measures to ensure state sovereignty over them, and offer advice on how to strike the right balance between the needs of the private sector and public sectors. This paper aims to help policy makers, software developers and concerned users understand the challenges of designing, implementing and using a national digital identity management system and establishing a legal framework for digital identity management, including personal data protection measures. The authors of this paper take a favorable position on self-sovereign identity management systems based on blockchain technology to meet the needs of national digital identity systems, and present the argument in favor of this position.