Inter-Domain Electronic Identification : Challenges, Benefits and Needs

Abstract: Electronic Identification (eID) systems allow users to authentication digitally to a service, often online. An inter-domain eID solution constitutes a single eID system which is accepted and used internationally, across borders. There is not much documented knowledge about inter-domain eID and the challenges, benefits and needs of such a solution in comparison to broker cross-country eID system such as eIDAS, which allows for interoperability of national eIDs within Europe. There is a lack of inter-domain eID solutions out there, but for organizations supporting eIDs, an inter-domain variant would be beneficial, not only from a technical view but also from a business perspective. However, before implementing such a solution it would be valuable to get an overview of the political, economical, social and technological aspects of an inter-domain eID. This study was done by applying the theoretical frameworks SWOT and PEST to gathered information from interviews with key players and from academic and industrial literature in order to comprehend the challenges, benefits and needs of an inter-domain eID. The paper concludes with the challenges being mostly in existing differences between countries when it comes to law, regulation, view on privacy and identity, technology and infrastructure. On top of these aspects, there are hindrances in areas such as privacy, user adoption, market monopoly, distribution, vulnerability and maintenance. The benefits of an inter-domain eID solution are about ensuring one identity for the user, an incorporation of the private market to cross-country identification, a boost to the European economy, an opportunity to create a privacy conscious system, bypassing social media giants and an inclusion of people which are not supported by eID brokers. Regarding needs, an inter-domain eID would remove the need for a company with customers in many different countries to support and maintain different national eIDs for different users in different countries. The business and economic need is also present, especially for private companies. Lastly, the topics of Self-Sovereign Identity, Privacy by Design and Universal Identity are briefly discussed.