After nearly one year of work, the ID2020 Certification Mark for digital identity solutions is entering a new phase. Following the launch of the Certification Mark in January, we set an ambitious goal of having 10 applications for certification submitted before August 2019, creating the initial traction required to shape the market long-term.
We surpassed that target — to date, we have received eleven applications for certification. Providers from Norway to Kenya to the United States have submitted thoughtful, detailed applications and worked with our Secretariat and Advisory Committees to complete the application process.
As we reviewed those applications, we realized that we needed to provide greater clarity on what was eligible for certification. In recent weeks, ID2020’s Technical Advisory Committee and Board have weighed multiple options and we’re excited today to share an important update.
Moving forward, ID2020 will certify integrated digital identity solutions, which we define as: a product, plus business processes and associated legal framework, as delivered by a specific provider.
Why this focus on integrated digital identity solutions? We believe that a focus on integrated digital identity solutions can yield the greatest market shaping impact in the near-term. By ensuring that solutions meet our requirements, we can help implementers create programs that achieve the highest ethical and technical standards.
We will not be certifying products — modular components of an integrated solution — which we recognize could easily be incorporated into solutions that offer few of the protections laid out in ID2020’s Manifesto and Technical Requirements.
Important to note: we recognize that how a solution is implemented is as important as the solution itself. And to that end, certification will be awarded to integrated identity solutions that are expressly dedicated to implementing in a manner compliant with the ID2020 Technical Requirements and Approval Profile.
Generally, the process for certification will remain the same. Technology vendors will submit solutions for consideration online, self-asserting compliance with the ID2020 Technical Requirements and Approval Profile. ID2020’s Secretariat will conduct the initial review of the application, then send a recommendation to ID2020’s Technical Advisory Committee, which will then make a final decision. And recognizing the potential for conflicts of interest, TAC members will be required to disclose pecuniary interests and recuse themselves when necessary.
However, recognizing that building a sustainable business model around the Certification Mark is vital for its continued impact, certification will now include an application fee (waived for current applicants). This ensures that we have the resources required to review applications quickly and build demand for certified solutions. We believe there’s a clear ROI for applicants; nonetheless, we never want the application fee to prevent a good solution from being recognized as such, so we will offer pro-bono fee waivers in select cases.
Longer-term, we believe that there’s a significant need for third-party assessments to ensure that certified solutions are implemented in a manner adhering to ID2020’s values. And we are working towards building the processes and necessary capacity to be able to do so. We’re early in this process and will seek input from our partners and the wider ecosystem as we move forward.
To all the current applicants, thank you for your dedication to this process. Your feedback has sharpened our insight and allowed us to build a thoughtful, meaningful Certification Mark that we hope will strengthen the entire ecosystem. Though we have not yet concluded our review of all eleven, we believe that many of those who applied are well on their way to being certifiable, and we look forward to working with these applicants to get each over the line.
To all future applicants, many providers have noted that going through the process itself was a useful exercise. We are excited to offer this ongoing service to the space and know that we can only reach maximal impact with your commitment to our ethics-first approach.
To the broader community: we are grateful for the openness you have shown during this process. Over the coming weeks, we will be working with all applicants, and with the broader ecosystem, to release our inaugural class of certified solutions, so look out for that.
And lastly, to keep developing this work, we need your input. Write to us at info@id2020.org for more information on certification, and to share your feedback. We look forward to being back in touch soon!
