Common wisdom says the easier it is to cross one country’s border into another, the greater the security risk. But we’re turning common wisdom on its head.
Accenture has been working with the World Economic Forum, the Canadian and Dutch governments, and Marriott International on the Known Traveler Digital Identity (KTDI) - a public-private collaboration to enable seamless and secure cross-border travel, using biometrics, cryptography and trust.
Global travel is projected to surge over the next dozen years — increasing 50% from 2016 figures to 1.8 billion international air arrivals by 2030, according to the UN World Tourism Organization.
This growth poses a huge challenge for procedures, staff and infrastructure at airports and other border-control venues.
Add to this the growing pressure for enhanced border security resulting from the fear of international terrorism and rising anti-immigrant sentiment, and the challenge becomes even clearer.
KTDI makes travel more seamless through a digital solution that eliminates the friction resulting from a paper-based documentation system (think passports and visas).
Using biometrics and cryptography, KTDI enables the creation of unique, verifiable and secure digital identities for travelers that will provide them with nearly hassle-free travel.
In fact, as part of the KTDI we’ve developed a prototype as the first step of an ambitious plan to transform international travel while simultaneously enhancing cross-border security.
Previously, the biggest roadblock to such a solution was technological. But advancements over the past few years in biometrics and - perhaps more importantly - distributed ledger technology, this solution is now possible.
Technology in place
With a blockchain-based solution, the traveler doesn’t share private data, such as actual travel history but links to the data, which together form an attestation.
Key to the KTDI is that it’s traveler-centric; all the components of a traveler’s digital ID reside with the traveler, who decides how and when to share the information.
With the technological aspect of the solution now developed, the biggest challenge now will be that of gaining critical mass — i.e., mobilizing a consortium and the policies and standards around KTDI.
Liselotte de Maar and Rajeev Kaul - Accenture
The inherent security of blockchain - which enables multiple stakeholders to securely share access to the same information, with encryption making it virtually impossible to change a “block,” or data set - makes it the perfect solution to promote trust among all the parties involved, from the individual traveler to national governments, border-control agencies, airlines and airports, hotels and others.
Another key element of KTDI is the inter-operability and flexibility of the technology itself.
Any solution must enable each partner to choose the technologies and vendors/service providers that best meet their needs, taking into consideration both the capabilities of the technology and its cost, while ensuring that it meets certain operability and security standards.
For instance, an airline or border-control (entry point) might require a biometric or other technology solution with the absolute highest level of accuracy (and possibly the highest cost), whereas a hotel might accept a system with a slightly lower accuracy threshold.
The key is a system that allows for choice while ensuring that all the parts work together.
KTDI addresses several challenges simultaneously, including individuals’ concerns about data privacy and governments’ concerns regarding sharing any of their citizens’ data. And the benefits for the traveler are clear:
- More-seamless travel, with no need to show ID at each step of the journey (entering the airport, checking in at the gate, going through customs, standing in line at passport control, etc.)
- The traveler retains control of his/her personal data, the solution will ensure their privacy, while increasing cross-border security.
In the Real World
Here’s a simplified example of how the KTDI would work.
First, a traveler gets “verified” from an authorizing entity in their resident country — in the U.S. this could be a post office or other government office — with a passport the starting point of the authentication process.
The government validates the information the traveler filled out in their digital ID, confirming that they are who they say they are.
They could also potentially add biometrics, such as a fingerprint or iris scan, to the traveler’s digital ID.
Next, the traveler applies for pre-clearance, asking the government of the country to which they’re traveling to clear them for entry.
Advancements over the past few years in biometrics and - perhaps more importantly - distributed ledger technology, this friction-free solution is now possible.
Liselotte de Maar and Rajeev Kaul - Accenture
Rather than filling out a form on the plane or on arrival or providing a Visa up front, the traveler, through a digital identity app on their mobile phone, sends a link to their digital ID.
In addition to passport and other information, the ID includes links to medical or other records, such as vaccinations, showing that they meet the necessary entry requirements of the country to which they’re traveling.
The digital ID would also show the person’s travel history — for instance, that the individual traveled safely to the Netherlands, Canada and Switzerland and has been authenticated by the U.S. — which would enable each government to make a risk profile based on an individual’s travel history.
Each time a traveler gets approved/authenticated by another government, the “stronger” their digital ID becomes.
Once at the departure airport, the traveler doesn’t need a passport or other physical document; they simply share their digital identity at the security check-in, possibly through a biometric scanner.
The system does the necessary background checks to clear the traveler (such as ensuring that they have no outstanding fines or warrants, etc.).
And at the gate, the airline confirms the traveler through biometrics, such as a face, iris or fingerprint scan, enabling them to board the plane — again, without showing ID.
The solution could also extend beyond a country’s border; for instance, using their digital ID, a traveler could check in to a hotel via a biometric scanning station and go straight to their room, which they’d unlock via fingerprint or iris scan.
What's next?
We’ve already built the KTDI prototype and demonstrated that it works; we’re now focused on testing it in a real-world environment, with the help of our other partners: the governments of Canada and the Netherlands and Marriott International.
With the technological aspect of the solution now developed, the biggest challenge now will be that of gaining critical mass — i.e., mobilizing a consortium and the policies and standards around KTDI.
Key to that will be the issue of trust, in terms of getting the various public and private partners to cooperate.
Solving this problem won’t be easy, as KTDI will require collaboration between many and various types of organizations.
Of course, for the solution to work, governments will need to learn to trust each other - that the authentication of a traveler’s digital ID is at least as solid as that done for physical passports now.
About the authors...
Liselotte de Maar is a managing director in Accenture’s Travel industry practice. Rajeev Kaul is a managing director and master technology architect at Accenture.