Brave New Digital World. In Vietnam, starting from January 1, 2025, everything will be based on biometrics

Following Kuwait, Vietnam is canceling banking transactions with individuals who do not scan biometric data for the Digital ID application.

Starting January 1, 2025, online transactions on bank accounts in Vietnam will be halted, and cash transfers and ATM withdrawals will be blocked if the account holder does not register their biometric data (fingerprints and facial recognition) according to the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) regulations and Vietnamese law.

Under the new regulations, account holders will only be able to withdraw money and make electronic payments after successfully completing the verification procedure for identity documents and biometric information provided by the police or through the Electronic Identification and Authentication System (VNeID).

Card transactions at retail outlets will still be conducted without mandatory biometric verification.

Since July 2024, the Vietnamese government has been collecting biometric data from its citizens, including iris scans, voice samples, and DNA, to include in new ID cards.

In India, the mass biometric data collection program is called Aadhaar, and more than 1.6 million data records from police, military, teachers, and railway workers were recently leaked.

A World-First Precedent Began in July

On the order of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Vietnam launched a large-scale biometric data collection initiative in July this year. The Ministry of Public Security was tasked with collecting iris images, voice recordings, and DNA samples from citizens to strengthen the country’s identification system. This move aligns with recent amendments to Vietnam’s Law on Civil Identity, signaling a significant shift towards modernizing national identification processes.

The revised law, which took effect on November 27 last year, mandates the issuance of identity cards to all individuals over the age of 14. Children between the ages of 6 and 14 are exempt from this requirement, though the law now includes provisions for incorporating blood group data and other DNA information into a national database accessible to various government agencies.

To create a more integrated identification system, the Ministry of Public Security plans to consolidate this biometric data into a national database. This integration aims to simplify interactions between government agencies, enhancing efficiency and security. The collection of biometric information will primarily be voluntary, except in cases related to criminal prosecution or administrative measures.

Vietnam’s ambitious plan to renew ID cards involves combining multiple functions into one card. Future ID cards will not only serve as traditional identification but also include health insurance, social insurance, driver’s licenses, and even birth and marriage certificates. This consolidation aims to simplify the identification process and facilitate interactions between citizens and state institutions.

However, this initiative, given that Vietnam has an adult population of about 70 million, presents significant challenges in data collection and protection. While the potential for streamlining services and improving interagency collaboration is clear, concerns about the security of sensitive personal information and the risk of data misuse remain paramount. Critics highlight the dual nature of such comprehensive data collection efforts, emphasizing the need for robust safeguards to prevent data breaches and abuses by authorities.