This week Estonia’s idea to give 10 million people worldwide digital identity moved a step closer to becoming law, and the program got a positive write-up from Estonia’s longtime friends at The Economist newspaper.
The amendments to the Identity Documents Act, approved by the Cabinet yesterday and passed to Parliament, provide for a distinct category of digital identity separate from the one for citizens and official residents.
As explained in The Economist’s June 28 issue, the way the scheme will likely work is that applicants will pay a small fee, probably around 30-50 euros and provide the same biometric data and documents as Estonian residents.
Besides image building for the country, it may also inspire other countries to develop their own digital identity standards, and perhaps spur creation of a universal standard, the periodical speculates.
Source: Estonioan Public Broadcasting
http://news.err.ee/v/scitech/6c253137-b533-42ab-8546-103c92ee9751