Accenture, Microsoft give millions of refugees digital IDs using blockchain

The technology companies have designed a digital ID network running on blockchain technology. The prototype connects existing public and commercial records so people can access their personal details from any location.

The system will be built on Accenture’s existing biometrics identity management platform and will be tested by aid agencies. The way it works is the following: when a refugee arrives at a camp, their face, irises and fingerprints will be scanned and the resulting biometric data stored, with their name, on one of the aid agency’s servers.

The blockchain digital ID network then creates a “stamp”, which is a unique identifier between the refugee and the data on the servers that proves they have been authenticated for each service they receive.

The aim of the project is to provide legal identities to all the people across the globe by 2030. Currently, there are 1.1 billion people around the world with no official documentation, including people who have been displaced from their original homes. Furthermore, the UNs latest report estimates that there are about 22.5 million refugees, according to BBC.