Digital IDs Rooted in Justice
Digital ID systems across the globe act as de facto gatekeepers for marginalised communities, at times
making it difficult for citizens to realise their rights. Most of these systems are developed and implemented
without civil society consultation, and without any meaningful involvement by the communities they
most affect. This severely compromises the systems’ ability to serve these populations properly.
With that in mind, this research looks at how organised civil society actors are seeking to shape the design,
implementation, and oversight of digital ID systems so as to eliminate harms to vulnerable populations. We analyse experiences derived from existing digital ID advocacy strategies in four case study countries –
Indonesia, Jamaica, Pakistan, and Uganda – with the goal of understanding how better systems, grounded in justice, might be achieved.