Bhutan’s Pioneering Digital ID System: A Deep Dive into the World’s First Self-Sovereign National Digital Identity

• Pallavi Sharma, Senior Manager, Marketing & Communications-Bhutan National Digital Identity Project & Department of Innovation & Technology

Bhutan is the first sovereign nation to roll out an SSI-based digital identity system at a national scale. With the passing of the National Digital Identity Act 2023, Bhutan also became the first country in the world to adopt a comprehensive decentralized digital identity regulation. Bhutan National Digital Identity (NDI) aims to create a thriving digital ecosystem that is rooted in trust. Acknowledging identity as the cornerstone of every trusted digital interaction, Bhutan NDI’s decentralized technology-enabled digital wallet has been designed to not only bolster digital trust but also to provide every citizen with the fundamental right to privacy. In this session, we discuss Bhutan’s journey towards the nationwide launch of the Bhutan NDI platform, including: * Bhutan’s national context * The vision and goals of the project * Product/platform design * Live and upcoming use cases * International standards and compatibility * Implementation/development challenges pre- and post-launch

Bhutan NDI: Summarizing the Learnings and What’s Next

• Pallavi Sharma, Senior Manager, Marketing & Communications-Bhutan National Digital Identity Project & Department of Innovation & Technology
• Eric Drury, Founder & Director-ForthCo.io

Following Pallavi Sharma’s Keynote, Eric Drury and Pallavi will engage in a fireside chat. They will explore the intricacies of the Bhutan National Digital Identity solution role out and share behind-the-scenes insights into the journey they and the rest of the NDI team to create such an aground breaching suite of services. They will also explore what’s next on the horizon, including their search for additional use cases and global partners.

How AdTech Identity Help San Antonio Texas Track Homeless Migration and Influence Public Policy

• David Marquez, Director of Economic Development -Bexar County Texas

In the summer of 2023, Bexar County Texas embarked on a program that helped them better understand and serve their community, specifically vulnerable members of the community. Using anonymized mobile AdTech, the country was able to reliably estimate the demand for several of it services and necessary supplies, such as shelters, work support programs, medical services, and blankets. David Marques will share the inspiration behind the program, how the insights helped inform their public policy development efforts, and what’s next as they continue to support their community.

Dealing with Children at the Digital Front Door: the Interplay Between Age Assurance and Online Identity

• Tim Green, Features Editor MEF
• Claire Quinn, Chief Privacy Officer-Privo
• Katerina Tassi, Senior Associate, Privacy and Data Protection Group-Bird & Bird
• Ian Deasha, Group Manager , Technology (Identity and Trust) -Information Commissioner’s Office
• Denise Tayloe, President and CEO-Privo

Children & Online Identity: an in-depth look at children’s online identity, privacy and the fast-evolving regulatory landscape. This session will look at personal data collection and use, identity and age assurance from a global viewpoint. The panel will bring together experts from PRIVO, the ICO and Bird & Bird.

eIDAS 2.0: Five Things To Watch

• Andrew Tobin, Commercial Director, Europe, Digital Trust Services-Gen

The starting gun has been well and truly fired, with the adoption of the pan-EU eIDAS 2.0 legislation. It promises a standard for digital identity and credentials for all EU citizens, transforming government and business processes and citizen privacy and security. There is now a 24 month period for governments, companies and people to get ready. What should they be doing, what should they watch out for, and what do you need to do? In this talk, Andy Tobin who set up one of the eIDAS Large Scale Pilots with the Swedish government, will take you through five focus points that you need to keep a close eye on. If all five are successful, eIDAS 2.0 will be huge. If any one of them fails, the whole programme will fail.

The Digital Identity Wallet and the Travel Use Case from a EU and Global Perspective

• Annet Steenbergen, Owner-Circletree Ltd

Following the approval of the eIDAS 2.0 regulation, governments, industry, and individuals must prepare for the introduction of EU digital identity wallets. Annet Steenbergen, with her vast array of government and industry experience and as a member of the EU Wallet Consortium (EWC), will provide a detailed overview of EU digital identity wallets: what they are, why everyone will need one, and what they can do with the them once they have them.

Emerging Decentralized Data Economy: A Day in the Life of an Individual with Their Digital Credential

• Marie Wallace, Managing Director, Digital Identity Lead – Accenture

In the months and years to come, digital identity wallets will play a central role in our daily lives. One of the many exciting things about digital wallets is that they empower people; they put people at the center of the experience and in control of their digital identities and data. Marie Wallace will illuminate the day in the life of an individual with their digital wallet. She will explain how digital wallets will help people freely, safely, securely, and efficiently traverse their day through different experiences and contexts (travel, border crossings, transportation, lodging, shopping, and more), all while maintaining their privacy and agency.

Biometrics The Golden Thread Across the Identity Landscape

• Andrew Bud, CEO, Chair Emeritus MEF – iProov

In this session, Andrew explains the foundational role that biometrics, particularly live facial recognition, is and will continue to play in the future ID & data landscape. From identification, credential issuance, and management to account onboarding and authentication, liveness and facial recognition will help organizations combat cybercrime fraud, streamline operations, and create and maintain safe, secure, and frictionless experiences for their customers. Andrew explains what is happening in the market and will help us understand what steps we should all be taking to fully embrace liveness and facial recognition.

Future of Authentication and Account Onboarding

• Adam Elboim, Director, Product Management – Twilio
• Tim Ward, VP Number Information Services – XConnect
• Harsha Appuhami Ralalage, Product Manager/Senior Solution Expert – Sinch
• Glyn Povah, Founder & Director Global Product Development Smart Digits – Telefonica

In this session, Adam, Tim, Harsha, and Glyn are going to provide a comprehensive analysis of the present and future of user authentication, balancing technological advancements with privacy and security concerns. They will explore the evolving landscape of user authentication in the era of advanced mobile technologies. They’ll delve into whether current innovations have resolved authentication challenges or if newer technologies are needed to fill existing gaps. They’ll discuss the trajectory and relevance of traditional methods like SMS OTP, address the complexities of age verification for minors without excessive data collection, and finally, they’ll wrap up by examining the potential threats posed by AI in the hands of fraudsters and its implications for authentication security.

Evolution of Enterprise Identity Vetting and Getting It to Scale

• John Bruner, President and CEO – Aegis Mobile
• Glyn Povah, Founder & Director Global Product Development Smart Digits – Telefonica
• Claudine Bell, Partner Business Manager, Messaging and Payments – Virgin Media O2

Knowing and authenticating the individual is crucial, but so is understanding the authenticity and legitimacy of the enterprise and its delegated agents. In this session, John Bruner, Glyn Povah, and Claudine Bell will explore the world of entity identity (also known as organizational identity). They will explain the evolving strategies and tactics that are being employed to identify organizations and their agents, at scale, for a wide range of use cases, especially calling and messaging. They will discuss how entity identifiers are being embedded in next-generation RCS messaging, for instance, and how this will help improve the overall experience for the recipient and enhance the end-to-end integrity of the messaging experience.

Open Gateway And The Brand: Achieving Elegant Simplicity on the Other Side of Complexity

• Viktorija Radman, Telecom Business Director – Infobip
• Rob Hughes, Director – Transit 3 Consulting Inc.
• Atul Purohit, Head of Technology (Europe Customer CTO), Nokia Cloud & Network Services

In this session, Viktorija, Rob, and Atul will present the opportunity and challenges with the recently accounted GSMA-led Open Gateway initiative, an initiative that transforms telecommunications networks into standardized platforms through APIs. These APIs enable them to provide digital services like Device Status, Device Location, Number Verification, and Quality on Demand. This initiative offers telecom companies, their partners, and brands significant opportunities, but challenges in scaling and speed remain.

Show the Me The Money: The future of Identity and The Mobile Ecosystem

• Colin Brown, Chief Commercial Officer – Haud
• Mark Harvey, CEO – Sekura
• Surash Patel, VP EMEA –  Telesign

Join Colin, Mark, and Surash to understand the dynamic interplay between technology, business, and individual empowerment in shaping the future of mobile identity and the future value exchange through the mobile ecosystem. In this session, the panel will explore how new technologies and services are transforming business models, enhancing security, and combating ever-present cybercrime fraud. They’ll highlight the challenges and opportunities presented by these advancements, how they are fundamentally changing the mobile ecosystem landscape, and what we can and should do to thrive in this ever-changing and dynamic field.

Opt-Ins and Mixed Blessings: Anonymizing Data to Drive Value and Disrupt Enterprise Operations in a World of Operator APIs

• Dr. Marco Lafrentz, Vice President, Business and Market Development – Netnumber

In this session, MEF Board Member and VP of Business and Market Development for global phone number intelligence leader netnumber will explore opportunities around ‘scoring’ methodologies, advanced subscriber profiling, anonymizing data without sacrificing demographic insights — and how all of that can herald a new world of powerful enterprise transactions across finance, e-commerce and beyond.

The Future of Authentic Content: Binding Identity with Content Provenance

• Eric Scouten, Identity Standards Architect for Content Authenticity Initiative – Adobe
• John Collomosse, Principal Scientist – Adobe Research

Imagine knowing who produced the content you are viewing and how they produced it? In this session, we will talk about the work being done to make that dream a reality. Eric will provide an overview of the work of the Content Authenticity Initiative, the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA), and the Creator Assertions Working Group (CAWG), and how these organizations are working together to help content producers build authentic connections with their audiences.

Fostering African Data Commons: Embracing the Philosophy of Ubuntu

• Nai Lee Kalema, Ph.D. Candidate-University College London
• Marie Shabaya, Forbes Contributor – Forbes Africa
• Simon Sun, S.J.D. Candidate – Indiana University

Personal data can empower more than just the individual, it can empower the community through pooled data—the data commons. Nail, Marie, and Simon, will help us understand how the spirit of Ubuntu can guide the creation of a unified, inclusive, and thriving African data landscape. They will explore the transformative potential of African Data Commons through the lens of Ubuntu, a philosophy emphasizing interconnectedness and community. This talk delves into how embracing Ubuntu can foster a collaborative data ecosystem across Africa, promoting shared growth, innovation, and resilience.

Rise of PIMS and the Factors that May Influence Adoption

• Michael Becker, MEF ID & Data Working Group Chair – Mobile Mobile Ecosystem Forum

Michael Becker will share the findings from a groundbreaking study—factors that predict personal information management systems (PIMS)—that he recently completed for his doctorate in business administration (DBA). A PIMS is a new class of software that empowers people to have control and agency over their digital identities and data (a digital identity wallet is a type of PIMS). In this session, Michael will summarize his findings and discuss the factors that may influence people’s intention to use and their actual use of a PIMS.

Empowering The Individual: PIMS & Personal AI

• Michael Becker, MEF ID & Data Working Group Chair – Mobile Mobile Ecosystem Forum
• Jamie Smith, Co-Founder – Mission
• St John Deakins, Founder & CEO – DataSapien
• Markus Lampinen, Co-Founder & CEO – Prifina

In this session, Jamie, Singe, and Markus will help us understand what happens when a PIMS is overlayed with a personal AI, an AI that is trained to serve the individual rather than the industry. Not only will people be able to understand themselves and their behaviors, but they will also have an ever-diligent agent that will help them navigate the complexity of our increasingly digitized world.

Commercial Use Case: The Military Connect Marketplace

• Michael Becker, MEF ID & Data Working Group Chair – Mobile Mobile Ecosystem Forum
• Kevin Sullivan, President, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army (Ret.) – Leading Points

With over 30 million people strong, the marketplace made up of active and non-active duty U.S. armed forces and their family members is a microcosm of the U.S. population. What sets these people apart from the rest of the country is that they are immediate family members who served their country.  Central to the Military Connect experience is a reusable digital ID, which, via the Military Connect digital identity wallet, can be used online line or offline to unlock a vast array of offers and benefits from the Military Connects partners network. Kevin Sullivan will share his journey on building Military Connect and the potential that lies ahead.