The Gates Foundation continues to drive global efforts aimed at introducing digital ID and payment systems by the end of this decade, awarding a $4 million grant to the UK-based Alan Turing Institute. This funding is part of a broader initiative known as the digital public infrastructure (DPI), supported by a coalition of private groups, such as the Gates Foundation and the World Economic Forum (WEF), as well as major global entities like the US, the EU, and the UN.
The Turing Institute, renowned for its work in AI and data science research, has announced that this latest grant will support a multidisciplinary project over the next three years. The project’s primary objective is to ensure the “responsible” implementation of ID services, focusing on privacy and security concerns. This initiative aims to address the critical issues raised by opponents of digital ID schemes, who consistently warn about the risks of centralizing personal identities.
The Turing Institute is framing its work, funded by the Gates Foundation, as an effort to balance the benefits of digital ID systems with robust privacy and security measures. According to the Institute, the project “aims to enhance the privacy and security of national digital identity systems, with the ultimate goal to maximize the value to beneficiaries, whilst limiting known and unknown risks to these constituents and maintaining the integrity of the overall system.”
Despite these assurances, skepticism remains. Critics argue that the Gates Foundation’s long-standing involvement in promoting digital ID and payment systems raises concerns about the true motives behind these initiatives. They fear that the emphasis on privacy and security in this new project may be more about perception management than addressing substantive risks.
The Turing Institute emphasizes that implementing digital ID services can improve inclusion, access to services, and human rights. However, they acknowledge the need for “tweaking” privacy and security measures to enhance trust in these systems. The renewed grant from the Gates Foundation is seen as a step towards achieving this balance, although critics worry it might be a public relations effort to mitigate opposition.
“The project aims to enhance the privacy and security of national digital identity systems, with the ultimate goal to maximize the value to beneficiaries, whilst limiting known and unknown risks to these constituents and maintaining the integrity of the overall system,” the Institute said in its announcement.
This initiative comes amidst increasing investments in developing secure, scalable, and user-friendly digital ID systems. According to the Turing Institute, billions of dollars are being poured into this field each year to address these challenges.
The Gates Foundation’s latest grant highlights the ongoing global push towards digital public infrastructure, which aims to integrate digital ID systems with broader societal benefits. However, the tension between the potential advantages of these systems and the significant privacy and security concerns they raise continues to be a focal point of debate.
As the Turing Institute embarks on this new project, the world will be watching closely to see whether the promised enhancements to privacy and security materialize, and whether these efforts genuinely address the concerns of those wary of centralized digital ID systems.
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