Identity verification platform IDnow has announced it has started the implementation phase of the SOTERIA research project to give users greater control over their data.
The EU-wide project, still currently in its pilot stage, aims to develop user-centric, citizen-driven tools to help EU users to manage personal data through the creation of digital identity to access online services.
The tools will focus on a user-friendly platform that allows easy data management to increase citizen awareness of their personal data.
Montaser Awal, Director of Research at IDnow and coordinator of the SOTERIA project, stated: “SOTERIA is a large scale demonstrator that shows how a digital identity wallet can enable citizens to protect and control their personal data while making access to online services easier than ever before.”
SOTERIA, launched in October 2021, is nearing the final pilot implementation and testing phase of the identity wallet solution, which was developed by IDnow and the other SOTERIA partners as part of the project.
The wallet will be integrated into the platforms of SCYTL, IPCenter and Biobizkaia Health Research Institute (with the support of INFOCONS association) in Romania, Austria and Spain, respectively, for use cases in e-voting, e-exam, and e-health.
The three pilot use cases will kick off with field tests consisting of 900 citizens each from Austria, Romania and Spain. For the e-voting and e-exam use cases, participants will authenticate themselves through the SOTERIA app and test the onboarding, provided by IDnow via identity verification methods.
These methods include several new security checks developed within the project, reinforcing the fraud detection capability of the solution further. Then the citizens will go through the voting or exam process, and at the end, have the choice to add their voting receipt or their exam results to their wallet.
For the e-health trial, citizens will have the possibility to add their health data to their wallet, while choosing the type of data and documents they want to store. This will allow them to have all important health information about themselves in their pockets.
Awal added: “Thanks to the findings in the use cases with citizens, SOTERIA will help strengthen security, privacy, and personal data protection across all layers of the digital economy, and will help pave the way for a trustworthy EU digital environment.
“We are very proud that the R&D team at IDnow gets to lead this ambitious consortium of 13 European partners. It is testament to our innovative spirit and curiosity that forms part of our DNA at IDnow.”
