Photo identification is necessary for modern life. However, more than 21 million Americans do not possess valid ID, and those without home addresses cannot register for state driver’s licenses. Without that physical license, a person can’t get a job, receive aid or health care, vote, or represent themselves in court. Luckily, IDs aren’t the only way to prove identity. Those born in the US have official paper trails through birth certificates and social security cards. To lose these documents and to obtain new copies require paying a fee or appearing in court. How can legislators ensure documents are accessible and protected? The City of Austin Innovation Office’s LifeFiles initiative offers a unique and scalable approach to inclusive documents.
LifeFiles distinguishes itself from global digital ID programs in its decentralized administration and accessibility. In its initial prototype funded by Bloomberg, LifeFiles sought to help people experiencing homelessness gain autonomy over identity documents by creating an official, digital repository of documents like birth certificates. Using a web application, the program was designed for all levels of tech literacy and access: First, by making it accessible from any computer and second, by offering multi-modal sign in methods, password, biometrics, social attestation, or a security question to unlock the documents. Initial testing enabled official free notarization of uploaded documents using blockchain so the digital repository could be used in government settings like applying for a driver’s license or for food and social welfare benefits.
LifeFiles is open source and never collects user data. It uses a combination of blockchain and encryption to secure user documents. Blockchain technology creates an encrypted hash to ensure secure notarization. Then, public-private key infrastructure shares documents, giving an identity verifier the ability to check the blockchain ledger to guarantee authenticity. Decentralized identifier technology (DID) allows these official documents to be accessed via web browser without having a record of identifying information saved in that browser. Technological alternatives to LifeFiles without DID are less secure.
Though piloted as an inclusion tool, digital documents are universally advantageous. User-controlled release of identifying data and encryption make LifeFiles secure and private. The system may also lessen the paperwork burden for individuals and governments through official, centralized, digital storage of essential documents. LifeFiles researchers concluded the program may eventually lower the costs of administering IDs.
The city of Austin’s Chief Innovation Officer, Daniel Culotta, suggests the program could function nationally. Without further grant funding, LifeFiles halted its testing of prototype documents, but the code is still publicly available for replication and scaling. If the government administers the program, onboarding is as simple as volunteer-led document uploading clinics.
This pilot has potential to be adopted by many states and localities. Currently there are 47 states including Washington DC where digital notarization is legal. Eventually, widespread adoption of digitized records will save money, and digital copies of birth certificates at the time of birth will prevent the loss of important records later on, all with users’ autonomy over their identities.
LifeFiles is an open-source response to the difficulties citizens face when they lose important documents. If states fully support this approach, it could aid more than 20 million Americans in controlling their identity and accessing services.