Digital ID Debate Gains Limited Public Buy-In

Belize’s push for a national ID was met with mixed reactions. Last month, public consultations were held in Belize City and Orange Walk, and while physical turnout was small, officials say hundreds tuned in online to follow the discussions. E Governance CEO José Urbina says the goal is to make online transactions more secure, but many Belizeans aren’t convinced. From questions about data privacy to calls for simply upgrading the Social Security card, concerns remain. Urbina acknowledges the skepticism but says that Belizeans may not realize how widely their personal information is already being shared through copies of their Social Security cards and passports.

 

Jose Urbina, CEO, Ministry of E-Governance

“I can say today that the Social Security card has been adopted as the de facto national ID. Anywhere you go, you present your Social Security card or you present your passport. Those are the two most official ways of identifying yourself. But I must also highlight that our information already exists everywhere. When I go to the bank, they ask for a copy of my Social Security card. When I go to Digi, they ask me for a copy of my Social Security card. When I do anything in-country. I was discussing with my family and saying, ‘Look, at least 15 entities have my Social Security card and maybe the 15 entities have my passport bio page.’ The national ID number should be a confidential number. How confidential is our Social Security card number? Honestly, it is not, because we don’t know what those entities that have the copies are for, although they are using it for legitimate purposes, how it can be misused by different entities within those institutions. So that’s another thing that we need to highlight. Your national ID is a confidential number, and so when you transact physically or online, the scanning of a QR code that’s printed on your card will be used. It’s no longer, again, okay, what’s your number? And you recite and give a copy of your ID. That’s no longer the case with the national ID, because it is the number that links you to your biometric data on the system.”

 

Urbina says the draft legislation and regulations for the national ID system have already been made available to the public online. He encourages everyone to read the documents for themselves and stay informed as consultations continue across the country.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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