Periodic Reporting for period 1 - IMPULSE (Identity Management in PUbLic SErvices)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2021-02-01 al 2022-04-30
Secure and privacy-preserving eID technology is an essential enabler for trust and confidence in the Digital Single Market (DSM), assuring data protection and prevention of online fraud, among others. These aspects really matter to public e-services, since citizens and organisations need to trust that their data are treated in full respect of existing data protection legislation for compliant and trustworthy digital transactions. Within this context, the DSM as a whole and public services and society would greatly benefit from disruptive digital identity management technology: existing services will gain adoption by reaching new segments of population (inclusion is a must), breaking existing barriers currently causing a negative social perception (e.g. privacy issues, complexity and e-literacy, digital security considerations, risk of identity fraud, etc.) while, at the same time, novel and innovative electronic services requiring robust, trustful and privacy-preserving identity management will be unlocked, attracting SMEs and entrepreneurs and fostering public-private partnerships.
IMPULSE overall objective is to transform the mainstream discourse on digital identity by drawing up a user-centric multi-stage method of multidisciplinary evaluation of eID management that combines the bottom-up approach of co-creation with the need for a universal vision of digital identity ethics in providing public services. The focus of the research is on evaluating the benefits, but also risks, costs and limitations, considering socio-economic, legal, ethical and operational impacts, together with framework conditions (GDPR and eIDAS regulations, and existing legacy eID national systems and standards). To this end, IMPULSE brings together a set of representative and innovative processes as case studies in 5 countries providing a variety of contexts and addressing the whole cycle.
Research will result on specific and actionable outcomes:
1.A framework for a holistic integration of AI (including document verification techniques) and blockchain (also smart contracts) technology to support secure and privacy-preserving eID management by public services,
2.Actionable roadmaps (detailing pathways based on recommendations and good practices) for the adoption, escalation and sustainability of advanced eID technology by public services in the European ecosystem, in different countries and at different levels and supported by DIHs all around Europe.
IMPULSE overall objective is to transform the mainstream discourse on digital identity by drawing up a user-centric multi-stage method of multidisciplinary evaluation of eID management that combines the bottom-up approach of co-creation with the need for a universal vision of digital identity ethics in providing public services. The focus of the research is on evaluating the benefits, but also risks, costs and limitations, considering socio-economic, legal, ethical and operational impacts, together with framework conditions (GDPR and eIDAS regulations, and existing legacy eID national systems and standards). To this end, IMPULSE brings together a set of representative and innovative processes as case studies in 5 countries providing a variety of contexts and addressing the whole cycle.
Research will result on specific and actionable outcomes:
1.A framework for a holistic integration of AI (including document verification techniques) and blockchain (also smart contracts) technology to support secure and privacy-preserving eID management by public services,
2.Actionable roadmaps (detailing pathways based on recommendations and good practices) for the adoption, escalation and sustainability of advanced eID technology by public services in the European ecosystem, in different countries and at different levels and supported by DIHs all around Europe.
During this period, a prototype of the IMPULSE solution has been developed, including both user and public administration domain components, based on AI modules such us biometric service and document verification service, and the associated blockchain infrastructure to support the whole system, which is based on the European Blockchain Infrastructure Service (EBSI). Additionally, the mobile user app and informed consent services have been implemented in the prototype.
Requirements from literature review have identified and a co-creation methodology has defined and adopted among the consortium members, conducting workshops by the 6 public administrations to gather additional requirements and refining them to agree on a common architecture and pilot methodology for validation.
In parallel, EU legal and normative framework has thoroughly analysed with an outline of the main open issues relevant for the project, that helped to develop an ethical framework to use both as a guideline for the project’s architecture and requisites, and for the evaluation and the assessment of the project’s outcomes. Furthermore, a compilation of a dictionary of the main ethical and legal terms to establish a common semantic foreground and reach a better mutual understanding has been created. Internal analysis of the main policy issues and related mitigation actions was carried out, and a policy brief workshop conducted with the participation of external policy makers
Regarding standardization, after highlighting possible relevant standards for the project a dashboard which includes all of them was provided to use it when looking for standards in a specific area.
Relevant factors driving the acceptance/adoption of eID solutions as well as on their social and economic impacts have been identified, creating a first survey version to collect data to test the hypotheses and economic model generated.
The Digital Innovation Board (DIB) was established and actions to build local communities initiated, contributing to the creation of an open community of stakeholders able to participate in future activities.
The consortium was active in events and starting publications. The project website and social media channels were launched and continuously updated. Materials for project dissemination were designed and videos are under production.
Innovation results were identified and a first roadmap for exploitation activities has been prepared.
Additional ethics activities were done, as analysis of local and national legislation for sensitive data sharing, assessment of the EU guidelines for trustworthy AI or nomination of an external ethics advisor that gave continuous support evaluating the compliance with ethic protocols
Requirements from literature review have identified and a co-creation methodology has defined and adopted among the consortium members, conducting workshops by the 6 public administrations to gather additional requirements and refining them to agree on a common architecture and pilot methodology for validation.
In parallel, EU legal and normative framework has thoroughly analysed with an outline of the main open issues relevant for the project, that helped to develop an ethical framework to use both as a guideline for the project’s architecture and requisites, and for the evaluation and the assessment of the project’s outcomes. Furthermore, a compilation of a dictionary of the main ethical and legal terms to establish a common semantic foreground and reach a better mutual understanding has been created. Internal analysis of the main policy issues and related mitigation actions was carried out, and a policy brief workshop conducted with the participation of external policy makers
Regarding standardization, after highlighting possible relevant standards for the project a dashboard which includes all of them was provided to use it when looking for standards in a specific area.
Relevant factors driving the acceptance/adoption of eID solutions as well as on their social and economic impacts have been identified, creating a first survey version to collect data to test the hypotheses and economic model generated.
The Digital Innovation Board (DIB) was established and actions to build local communities initiated, contributing to the creation of an open community of stakeholders able to participate in future activities.
The consortium was active in events and starting publications. The project website and social media channels were launched and continuously updated. Materials for project dissemination were designed and videos are under production.
Innovation results were identified and a first roadmap for exploitation activities has been prepared.
Additional ethics activities were done, as analysis of local and national legislation for sensitive data sharing, assessment of the EU guidelines for trustworthy AI or nomination of an external ethics advisor that gave continuous support evaluating the compliance with ethic protocols
It is believed that by facilitating a wider digitisation of public services and of the private sector, eID solutions can have a substantial, positive social and economic impact and that they can improve social inclusion and offer large economic efficiency gains. However, there are also fears that digitisation may lead to new inequalities and exclusion. IMPULSE will generate new empirical evidence on all these points, with the formulation of recommendations about how to design and promote socially sustainable and economically positive eID solutions. Furthermore, eID has serious ethical and societal implications that will be explored through the develop policy recommendations to facilitate the introduction of such technologies, as well as a system to assess beforehand the potential social acceptance of it.
IMPULSE will also contribute by defining the participatory approach for designing eID solutions that can impact the future design and development of similar solutions. Collecting requirements directly from the end users help facilitate and refine the overall solution, as well as the architecture and system specification. Without considering the end users, the developed solution would have a more difficult time to be adopted by them.
By becoming involved in ongoing and new standardization acitvities, project results can be distributed widely outside the range of the IMPULSE project. The sensibility for what is missing regarding standardization is raised within the project and city cases can take advantage of the standardization landscape to apply the standards identified during and beyond the project.
On the technical side, the advances are in the design, development and instantiation of a self-sovereign identity solution based on the European Self Sovereign Framework and which integrates and combines different novel technologies (biometric, document validation, smart contract based informed consents) into a unique and holistic solution in order to ensure high requirements of inclusivity, security, privacy, usability and acceptance., where IMPUSLE eID solution is expected to be a serious alternative to implement the European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI wallet) in the European Member States.
IMPULSE will also contribute by defining the participatory approach for designing eID solutions that can impact the future design and development of similar solutions. Collecting requirements directly from the end users help facilitate and refine the overall solution, as well as the architecture and system specification. Without considering the end users, the developed solution would have a more difficult time to be adopted by them.
By becoming involved in ongoing and new standardization acitvities, project results can be distributed widely outside the range of the IMPULSE project. The sensibility for what is missing regarding standardization is raised within the project and city cases can take advantage of the standardization landscape to apply the standards identified during and beyond the project.
On the technical side, the advances are in the design, development and instantiation of a self-sovereign identity solution based on the European Self Sovereign Framework and which integrates and combines different novel technologies (biometric, document validation, smart contract based informed consents) into a unique and holistic solution in order to ensure high requirements of inclusivity, security, privacy, usability and acceptance., where IMPUSLE eID solution is expected to be a serious alternative to implement the European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI wallet) in the European Member States.