Can you tell us more about FINEGAN?
Our support in the transformation is based both on the core business of our clients, on the constraints and requirements of the regulator, as well as on technological and digital developments. Our differentiation is explained in our ability to find with our clients the subtle balance between these three dimensions for their specific context.. FINEGAN is positioned in a fast growing sector as we achieved growth of over 20% in 2021 and hired 100 new employees. Our goal is a 30% growth in 2023 and the hiring of more than 150 employees.
What is digital identity?
In a very simplified way, the term “digital identity” refers to the ability to identify a person to ensure that it is the person, but in a totally dematerialized way.
It is the equivalent in the physical world of the action consisting of presenting the identity document (identity card or passport) but here everything is done completely virtual (without any physical document) and most of the time for remote use.
Why are we talking so much about this topic today?
Two reasons explain this. First, because distancing is becoming the norm and has accelerated even more since the health crisis. Consequently, there are a strong need to prove your identity remotely : request a consumer credit online, rent a vehicle online… So, why identity fraud is on the rise. There are more and more digital identity thefts. However, today, digital identity is far from being widespread…
What are the main obstacles?
To make it usable by everyone, it is necessary to find the right balance by offering a digital identity that is simple, fluid and accessible, but also robust enough in terms of security to prevent fraud and identity theft. The regulator has established a framework for finding this balance, but is struggling to implement it concretely for consumers.
The second brake refers to the equipment of the population.. Even with a defined framework and a proposed digital identity, it will take several years before enough people can benefit from it in the territory. We have seen this, for example, with the new identity card in “bank card” format: it entered circulation in 2021, and yet, for the moment, it has only been issued to a very small part of the population.
How does this notion of digital identity translate into our daily lives?
To understand it well, it is easier to reason chronologically. Historically, identification is done face to face.. The person introduces himself and delivers his identity document, official and provided by the Government. It is his interlocutor who must verify that she is indeed the right person in front of him. This situation is still very common.
The second stage was driven by the acceleration of digital uses. It is at the origin of remote identity verification means. Instead of handing their ID to someone, the user scans it and submits it. Since this verification is done remotely, the interlocutor must make sure that the person in front is alive. To do this, you can ask him to activate his camera and, for example, turn his head randomly, or put a finger to his face to make sure that the person is live. Also, a biometric control analyzes the structure of the face through the webcam and compares it to the photo on the scanned ID.
At this stage, it is not yet a digital identity per se. This method can only be used once, within the framework of a given route. It is the intermediary between the traditional face-to-face identification and the true digital identity. which is reusable. However, these new uses now make it possible to open accounts online, take out loans online, and even open complex insurance contracts remotely. They are becoming more and more democratic and FINEGAN has also been a pioneer in this area to support its clients in these new uses.
Digital identity is therefore the culmination of these developments and, above all, the transition to virtualization of the identification practices that we have been using for years based on documents.
Who can issue a digital identity today?
private organizations, approved and in line with the European regulations eIDAS are able to provide it. This is particularly the case with La Poste. New private providers will also offer your digital identity in 2023, including IDNow (formerly AriadNext). The digital identity “France Identity Digital” offered by the French government (accessible only with the new electronic identity card) should also be available in 2023.
Whichever provider you choose to create and use your digital identity, rest assured, they will typically be offered on trips through the FranceConnect+ identity unifier, exposing them all.
Are changes planned for digital identity?
In fact, the European Commission (EC) is working on an evolution of the eIDAS regulatory framework because the deployment of digital identity is not going fast enough for your liking. The EC wishes to oblige States to accelerate the development of uses of digital identity in all sectors. This is explained by a question of accessibility but also of security.
The direction taken at this stage by the EC refers to the notion of “wallet”, that is, the equivalent of the wallet in the physical world. Inside, each person will have the information of their digital identity document and will be the only possessor of it.. This “wallet” can be enriched with other information (address, income, etc.).
You talk about a real revolution for companies, what is it?
Companies from all sectors tomorrow you will have to be able to function without any documents (identity document, proof of address, etc.). This is probably the most significant revolution that has ever occurred in terms of its impact on business processes and procedures.
From 2024, companies will have to accept a digital identity instead of an identity document and by 2030 the use will be generalized. To date, no company in France and even in Europe is ready. For this reason, at FINEGAN we are already supporting many clients to prepare for this revolution.
This content was produced with SCRIBEO. The BFMBUSINESS editorial team was not involved in the production of this content.
Source: BFM TV
