ID2020 and Digital Impact Alliance Join Forces to Champion People-Centric Digital Transformation

San Francisco and Washington D.C., August 2, 2023 – Today, ID2020 and the Digital Impact Alliance announce plans to unite in the push for digital transformation efforts to serve the best interests and wellbeing of people and society.

Going forward, the Digital Impact Alliance will house ID2020’s unique knowledge, products, and expertise in digital ID, and will integrate the importance of ethical digital ID in the continued promotion of inclusive and trusted digital public infrastructure and data governance.

ID2020 is recognized globally as a developer, advocate, and convener of the principles and technical requirements of “ethical” digital ID. Since 2014, ID2020 has raised awareness and built tools to maximize the considerable potential of digital ID, with a particular focus on marginalized and excluded people and communities.

“We are proud of what ID2020 has accomplished over the past nine years, mobilizing the technology community to protect the world’s most vulnerable populations,” said ID2020 board chair Kim Gagné. “ID2020 joining the Digital Impact Alliance, a global leader in digital transformation, will ensure continued impact of the ethical principles, priorities, and strategies that we have worked hard to promote. Integration of our work with theirs will enhance and accelerate this important effort.”

“Inspired by the documentary Meena, we established ID2020 to be a time-bound exploration of alternative systems for individuals to prove they exist, “explained ID2020’s founder John Edge. “We believed emerging decentralized technologies could provide services to vulnerable individuals while safeguarding their safety and security. Ultimately, we focused on advocating for re-engineered systems that align with our evolving understanding of the interplay between society and technology. With global awareness and engagement on this issue now mainstream, and efforts increasingly directed to the practical implementation of solutions, it is an ideal time for the Digital Impact Alliance to take the lead.”

Since 2014, the Digital Impact Alliance has been a leading voice on digital transformation and the importance of putting people at the center by design. They have collaborated with government actors, policymakers, and technologists to build an extensive body of resources on good digital public infrastructure and data governance, including research, case studies, policy recommendations, and tools to support those working at the forefront of digital transformation around the world.

“Digital identity is the foundation that allows people to exercise their rights, access life-enhancing services, and ultimately join the formal economy,” said the Digital Impact Alliance’s CEO, Priya Vora. “We are thrilled to bring ID2020’s impressive work into our organization and to strengthen collective efforts to champion ethical approaches for digital identity to be scaled, and ultimately transform all aspects of social, political, and economic life.”