Digital Identity and Trust

Within the sector, the International Civil Society Centre is neither vanguard nor laggard when it comes to digitalisation. The Centre acknowledges there is room for improvement in its digital performance. However, from a modest and realistic perspective, its achievements are remarkable and offer valuable insights for others in the sector. 

Go to page 55 of the Alice Magazin No. 45 to read the article. Here is a direct link to the article. PDF version on request.

Reflections on the use of digital tools and artificial intelligence (AI) in the administration of social welfare systems in the context of a course at Alice-Salomon University for Applied Sciences, Berlin.

Poverty is not a new phenomena, nor the fact that societies tend to identify and support the “deserving poor” only. In this online w/shop Karl Steinacker and Michael Kubach, for the NetHope Global Summit in 2023 in Munich/Germany, set the historical context, while Benjamin Schwarz reports from the digitalization of the Danish welfare state. Astha Kapoor explains how the digitalization of welfare supports works in India. Finally, Minna Ylikanno and Luiz Henrique Alonso de Andrade introduce the outcomes of the pilot project on Universal Basic Income conducted in Finland.

Today, authorities all over the world are experimenting with predictive algorithms. That sounds technical and innocent, as did the LogFrame 30 years ago, but as we dive deeper into the issue, we realise that the real meaning is to implement new-liberal policies on poverty and poor people.

Das Aadhaar-Identifizierungssystem ist das Herz der Vision der indischen Regierung für die Erbringung öffentlicher Dienstleistungen im 21. Jahrhundert. Das System arbeitet effektiv und reibungslos für die meisten der mehr als eine Milliarde Menschen, die sich dafür haben registrieren lassen. Aadhaar gehört zur öffentlichen digitalen Infrastruktur des Landes, die neben dem öffentlichen Sektor auch der Privatwirtschaft zugutekommen soll.

Discussion with Belkis Wille, Human Rights Watch, and Yasar Cohen-Shah, of the Declaration’s podcast team, on refugee registration.

While Western public debate centres on irregular migration and refugee movements, we really need a debate about multilateral and digital solutions to prevent the global South from being excluded from international travel.

Während sich die öffentliche Debatte im Westen auf irreguläre Migration und Flüchtlingsbewegungen konzentriert, brauchen wir in Wahrheit eine Debatte über multilaterale und digitale Mobilitätslösungen, um zu verhindern, dass der globale Süden vom internationalen Reiseverkehr ausgeschlossen wird.

NGOs and UN agencies have collected sensitive personal data of millions of people in the global South. And as many claim that they are accountable to the people they assist, protect, and seek to empower, the opportunity has come to implement and showcase meaningful accountability: Give those who are marginalised and in need of protection and assistance the digital rights they are entitled to.

NGOs und UN-Organisationen sammeln millionenfach sensible persönliche Daten von Menschen im globalen Süden. Dabei ist Vorsicht geboten.

Die Autoren besprechen die Auswirkungen der Digitalisierung auf die einzelnen Hilfsempfänger*innen in einer akuten Notsituation. Wie werden sie identifiziert und sichergestellt, daß Hilfsleistungen nur an eine bestimmte Person oder einen bestimmten Haushalt gehen? Was bedeuten Datenkompetenz, Algorithmen und statistische Modelrechnungen für die Projektplanung und -abwicklung? Ist das Konzept der digitalen Identität die Basis der digitalen Transformation im humanitären Bereich oder lediglich das Einfallstor für privatwirtschaftliche Akteure und/oder Überwachungsinstitutionen, die andere als humanitäre Absichten hegen? Die Autoren versuchen sich an einem Plädoyer, die technologischen Entwicklungen zu verstehen, ihre Relevanz einzuschätzen, ohne aber in dystopischen Determinismus oder Fatalismus zu verfallen. Auch für digitale Abläufe gilt als Minimum: „Do no Harm“.

Interview, jointly given with Katja Lindskov Jacobsen to the New Humanitarian

Joint article with Katja Lindskov Jacobsen on the unintended consequences of biometric registration by humanitarian agencies.

In this podcast, the Global Voices team of the Equanimity Foundation chats with Karl Steinacker on the search for enforceable and consensual rules on migration. This conversation is about bridging the different viewpoints on legitimate migration by actors in the Global North and in the Global South and the need to to develop a set of rules on global mobility. In addition, technology has a key role to play in modernising global mobility.

As global travel begins to open up after the Coronavirus Pandemic, it is crucial to analyze the paradigms of global mobility that govern our world as we enter a new period. Karl Steinacker's nuanced essay draws from a variety of international sources to argue that modern policies, especially those upheld by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) nations, are technologically outdated and unfit to carry forth the spirit of the Global Compact Agreement. The article then proposes solutions to better the current global system by leveraging the power of technology and the private sector.

Que pense-toi de la mobilité internationale dans l'ère post-Covid-19? Le «Passeport Vaccinal» est-il la solution? Quel salon te conviens le mieux: première ou deuxième classe? La «nouvelle normalité» sera très différente pour les gents du Nord et du Sud de la planète.

Version française de l'article du blog du 30 avril

How is international mobility in post-Covid-19 times going to look like? Why Smart Vaccination Certificates are unlikely to relaunch international mobility and the “New Normal” might look very different for people in the North and in the Global South.

Presentation jointly held with Michael Kubach of Fraunhofer Gesellschaft at the conference on “Fragile Contexts, Digitalisation, Remote Management, Monitoring and Verification” organised by BMZ and KfW. Online, 20 January 2021

The Covid19 pandemic accelerates the digital transformation and the narrative of a strong, protective state. Where does leave that civil society organizations?

Die Daten, die unser Smart Home und Autos generieren gehören auf ein persönliches Datenkonto. Dieses ist der Grundstein für eine effektive individuelle Datensouveränität und informationelle Selbstbestimmung, denn ich kann nur das kontrollieren wozu ich exklusiven Zugriff habe .

L’Union Européenne transforme nos vies sans que l’on ne s’en rende compte. D'une organisation pour un marché commun des biens traditionnels, l’UE est maintenant en train de créer un marché unique numérique et un référentiel d'identité commun pour nos espaces virtuels.

The New Humanitarian asked Linda Raftree and myself, to weigh in on the same six questions relating the use of biometrics in humanitarian settings.

The current fragmentation of the aid industry is a result of the interests of their main actors which are pursuing mandate and turf driven exclusive relationships with a subset of persons in need of protection and assistance. However, these powerless persons would benefit from competition and extended services which requires that the necessary disruption is imposed on the aid industry from the outside. There are prospects that once the current digital gold rush is replaced by more regulated approaches, the recipients of aid and protection can benefit from the logic of digital commercial platforms and digital citizens’ portals.

Session in its integrality

Recap with selected quotes and analysis

While UNHCR has been using cash cards for more than a decade but the real protection dividend lies elsewhere: We should advocate for refugees to have full-fledged bank accounts so that they can receive, save, and transfer their monies like everybody else!