Will Digital IDs replace Physical IDs anytime soon?

One may be sentimental thinking about their first government-issued ID, or maybe their first approved credit card, as a rite of passage to adulthood. Filling out multiple forms, photocopying necessary documents, and waiting in long queues for hours just for a single ID is really quite an experience.

But having digital technology often touted as the future—with many people casting such a transformation as inevitable, the promise of digital ID systems looks reassuring. Having our credit cards, transit passes, or personal IDs on our phones screams convenience as we can now leave paper and plastic cards at home. Digital IDs can also just communicate specific information required rather than providing additional facts that might violate one’s privacy. They have become even more helpful during the pandemic when contactless transactions are advised to the public. In effect, more individuals will be using digital channels to verify their identity daily. Nick Maynard, a lead analyst at Juniper Research, anticipates over “6.2 billion digital identity apps in service by 2025”, which will capitalize upon how significant the concept of identity is to our everyday lives”.

So, does the rise of digital ID systems signal the beginning of the end for physical cards and documents? Well, digital experts all agreed that it is not the case because although digital identity will more likely accelerate in the next decade, paper credentials may serve as an offline backup given that some nations or industries might take some time to implement new technology. “Rather than simply being replaced by new digital formats, they continue to be the pre-requisite for the overall success of many schemes” (SIA, 2020).

“FilPass provides a high standard digital credential storage and verification system to guarantee that your information is secured and your privacy is respected.”

Since it is clear that physical and digital ID will become increasingly conjoined and later co-exist in the near future, securing and verifying our privacy and identity must be our next million-dollar question. At FilPass, we provide a high standard digital credential storage and verification system to guarantee that your information is secured and your privacy is respected. It allows users to have a more secure, less invasive, and most effective way to store, organize, and share certifications and credentials from their digital wallet as well as validate these documents via QR code or an electronic file using Blockchain Technology—maintaining a robust management system of privacy, security, and accessibility.