French identity, another step towards a reliable and solid digital identity

Will the French ID app achieve the same success as its big brother France Connect, a public online identification device, launched in June 2016? Starting from an inter-ministerial program, France Identity should finally enable Verify your identity onlineThanks to the NFC chip on biometric ID cards, in circulation since the summer of 2021. But at the moment, preparing for admission to the hospital, power of attorney or opening a bank account are only procedures that can be accessed with a smartphone using the Android operating system and the NFC short-range communication feature. Because France Identity is still in the testing phase.

France is lagging behind its European neighbors, intending to introduce new digital services, such as the ability to more easily prove one’s identity on the Internet or during physical procedures, with only certain information being disclosed, for example to prove its majority. Thus, people forget about the project that started in 2013 and which he planned to use face recognitionIn particular, the following alerts from Cnil, deserted.

Will France Identity be able to replace CNI-e?

For now, the data remains stored in the NFC chip of the biometric ID card. But, as AriadNext director Mark Nolin points out to AFP, “in 2022 you should be able to derive your entire ID from your phone,” in the style of contactless mobile payments or Apple Wallet available in the US. This is also the wish of Brussels, which wants to permanently install its European digital wallet.

Note that a Thales . Company Survey, conducted in December 2021 on the same European digital wallet, concluded that 85% of the French are ready to use it. So citizens say “yes” but France Identity still has a long way to go to ensure data security. In its current form, “the application is not very useful, as Hervé Bonazzi, Director of Archipels, considers a joint venture created by La Poste, EDF, Engie and Caisse des dépôts. However, it is a necessary and fundamental document for the future of digital identity in Europe”, which According to him, you should eventually succeed in “correlate the various data about you” with your Social Security Number, Mutual, Approved Income …

What is the purpose of using the France ID?

France Identity should become the first application in France that will provide a “high” level of guarantee in terms of digital identification, according to the frame of reference of the European e-IDAS regulations. This level is not yet required by any online service, but should eventually allow access to health data, the development of a fully dematerialized power of attorney, or even electronic voting.

D’ici là, France Identité permettra dès cet été d’accéder à France Connect, le portail utilisé aujourd’hui par plus de 37 millions de personnes pour payer leurs impôts, consulting leurs droits points à la retraite ou de leur des sold per Leadership. But also for France Connect +, its version that requires a “significant” level of guarantee, for example, to open an online bank account. Today, only La Poste’s “Digital Identity” has received this certification from Anssi, which guarantees the security of information systems, and new private applications are in the process of certification.

Another function of France Identity, the only one available so far, allows you to produce single-use digital proofs of identity, to avoid sending copies of the original document, for example when renting an apartment: “One of the most common sources foridentity theft.

False start on the Apple environment?

While on Monday the official France Identity Twitter account announced in a very vague tweet that it was necessary to follow Keyword WWDC from Apple to find out what’s new, Followers Disappointed: no sign of support Under iOS16 To obtain a French digital identity card.

Commons fusion in Maps, also known as wallet, It was quickly circulated before the keynote kicked off at 7 p.m. on Monday, before being rejected by France Identity. Finally, Apple didn’t announce anything at all. The app’s official Twitter finally mentioned the progress of France Identity under the Apple brand: an iOS app is in the works so iPhone users can also take advantage of these new services.

What are the privacy risks?

Use of France Identity will remain entirely optional and “is not intended to replace alternate patterns, paper forms or counter,” the government pledges.

“This is where we remain very vigilant,” notes Bastien Le Querec, member of La Quadrature du net, who wants these physical alternatives not to be “disincentive.” “Through this phenomenon of over-physicalization of public services, we are in the process of forcing citizens to go through digital identity.” He adds, “Whoever says digital identity means creating a card in his name with his photo and date of birth…”. Another risk, it can “double up in cases where you will be required to prove your identity”.