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How can unintended consequences be avoided?

Question: How can unintended consequences of having digital IDs (e.g. social exclusion, tracing, furthering inequality, profiling) be prevented?

While it is true that any digital ID system may result in unintended consequences, the private/public consortium establishing the digital id ecosystem can take actions that clarify their intent to the marketplace and establish transparent standards to convey its position as providing the system for ethical, lawful and social equality purposes:

  • The ecosystem should include in its Governance Framework a set of operating principles that overtly address its intended purpose
  • Ensure that the ecosystem consortium has diverse representation which can help identify unintended consequences that may not be obvious to the most dominant members
  • Include representatives of user rights groups in the governance and testing phases so the ecosystem has buy-in from the start.

  • In its Risk Assessment, the Governance Framework should identify unintended consequences as a specific risk which would be mitigated with detailed requirements for stakeholders to address the risk such as:

  • Disclosing clear language/visuals at point-of-use for how information shared will be used, retained

  • Agreements in place by all parties on the use of identity information
  • Restrictions on the ability to use of sell identity information without consent
  • Alternative access mediums for ID holders to use their ID information for services
  • Privacy enhancing zero knowledge proof schemes when possible
  • Easy to read and use instructions for participants
  • Limit/monitor information sharing / coordination across entities so they can’t build a full picture of someone from the outside-in
  • Ensure that the practice of a citizen not sharing certain information does not unfairly penalize nor exclude them.

  • Ensure that refusal to participate in digital ecosystem (and sticking with physical) does not unfairly penalize or exclude people

  • Acknowledge the imbalances in the market and the role that regulation has to play; For example, small disadvantages to many users compared to a large benefit to a single player in the market.

Bianca Wylie in her article Using Government IT to Teach and Build Public Infrastructure, says it best:

This (technology) evolution would also include addressing how technology teams work together within and across government(s). Big organizational shifts to make, no doubt, but we’re also at the breaking point for the limitations old organizational structures are imposing on the people working in tech in government. We the public shouldn’t accept this status quo any longer because we are the ones ultimately harmed by it. With differently organized internal technology capacity, there can be new public sector roles to address the digital divide — to make sure that beyond accessible internet for all there is also widespread public ability to use it — socially, politically, employment-wise, artistically — however one may choose.