Demanding identity systems on our terms

Reports and Analysis

Long Read

Why we need to talk about digital health

In this piece we outline the main discussions and measures we need to see being systematically adopted to inform decision-making about digital solutions in the health sector, and provide examples of where these were not integrated in decision-making processes and with what consequences.

Long Read

Mi DNI, mi identidad: El impacto de los sistemas de identificación sobre las personas transgénero en Argentina, Francia y en Filipinas.

Hablamos con representantes de organizaciones transgénero en Argentina, Francia y en Filipinas para entender cómo los sistemas de identificación están impactando sus vidas, y los marcos legales que les están ayudando.

Long Read

My ID, my identity? The impact of ID systems on transgender people in Argentina, France and the Philippines

We spoke to trans-right activists in three country: the Philippines, France and Argentina to understand how ID systems in their countries are impacting their lives and how certain legal frameworks may help them.

Long Read

“Anytime and anywhere”: Vaccination passports, immunity certificates, and the permanent pandemic

The deployment of vaccines, and in particular any "vaccination passport or “immunity passport” or certificate linked to the vaccination, must respect human rights.

Report

A Guide to Litigating Identity Systems: An introduction

Many countries in the world have existing ID cards - of varying types and prevalence - there has been a new wave in recent years of state “digital identity” initiatives. The systems that states put in place to identify citizens and non-citizens bring with them a great deal of risks. This is

Long Read

The looming disaster of immunity passports and digital identity

A digital ID that proves immunity will raise serious human rights issues. And the failure of the digital ID industry to deal with the issues of exclusion, exploitation and discrimination puts the entire industry under question.

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Kenyan Court Ruling on Huduma Namba Identity System: the Good, the Bad and the Lessons

PI presents its analysis of the Huduma Numba judgment in three parts: the clear wins, the parts that make some small steps forward but could have been better and the dissapointing losses.

Long Read

The Identity Gatekeepers and the Future of Digital Identity

Photo by Nadine Shaabana on Unsplash Digital identity providers Around the world, we are seeing the growth of digital IDs, and companies looking to offer ways for people to prove their identity online and off. The UK is no exception; indeed, the trade body for the UK tech industry is calling for the

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PI presents our strategy for ‘Safeguarding Peoples’ Dignity’

Whilst innovation in technology and data processing have provided individuals and communities with new opportunities to exercise their fundamental rights and freedoms, this has not come without risks, and these opportunities have not been enjoyed by all equally and freely. Our relationships and

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Data Privacy Week: Exposing Harms, Fighting Back

The Privacy International Network is celebrating Data Privacy Week, where we’ll be talking about how trends in surveillance and data exploitation are increasingly affecting our right to privacy. Join the conversation on Twitter using #dataprivacyweek. It is often communities who are already the most

Long Read

Exclusion and identity: life without ID

Photo credit: Francisco Javier Argel Questions of identification and ID, with their associated privacy risks, are only increasing. There are multiple dimensions to understanding the impact of ID and identification; a key one is to understand how it can exclude. This is why Privacy International is

Report

The Humanitarian Metadata Problem - Doing No Harm in the Digital Era

New technologies continue to present great risks and opportunities for humanitarian action. To ensure that their use does not result in any harm, humanitarian organisations must develop and implement appropriate data protection standards, including robust risk assessments. However, this requires a

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Initial analysis of Indian Supreme Court decision on Aadhaar

Image attribution: By Legaleagle86 at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0. In a long-anticipated judgment, the Indian Supreme Court has ruled that India's controversial identification system Aadhaar is Constitutional. They based their conclusion on notes that there are sufficient measures in place to protect

Key Resources

Aadhaar Security Fail

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"Management takes no responsibility for your personal belonging"

Identity, discrimination, and the challenge of ID

Who are you? The Challenges of Identity and Identification “Identity” is a word that covers an incredible range of contested, deeply personal and highly politicised questions. These range from the political and the sociological, through to the psychological and philosophical. A question such as “who

Long Read

The Sustainable Development Goals, Identity, and Privacy: Does their implementation risk human rights?

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the United Nations-led initiative to define the development agenda. Building on the eight Millennium Development Goals, the SDG’s 17 goals – and the 169 targets – serve as an opportunity to tackle many of the most pressing issues in the world today. The

Report

Investigating Privacy Implications Of Biometric Voter Registration In Kenya’s 2017 Election Process

The use of biometric technology in political processes, i.e. the use of peoples’ physical and behavioural characteristics to authenticate claimed identity, has swept across the African region, with 75% of African countries adopting one form or other of biometric technology in their electoral