Samsung has always been eager to bring out new features on its phone, and as a result, they are now planning to replace the German ID card with their phone. The concept is not new, as it was in discussion for a long period on a global scale. Since almost everyone has a smartphone now, one does carry a digital copy of the ID cards on their phone. However, replacing the physical ID card with an original digital version on the phone will be a new concept.
Samsung has announced that Germany’s National electronic ID will be available on its phones later this year. It has happened due to an exclusive partnership with the German Federal Office for Information Security, Bundesdruckerei (bdr), and Deutsche Telekom Security.
With this feature implemented in Germany, citizens would not have to carry their physical ID card any longer. They can carry all their original ID cards on their smartphone. They have developed a hardware-based security architecture, which would allow the citizens to do so. All the organizations involved in it have developed a holistic security architecture around the hardware.
The German users of Samsung Galaxy S20, Samsung Galaxy S20+, and Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra will add their national ID through a dedicated app, distributed by bdr (Bundesdruckerei), and can be used to open a bank account or use specific eGovernment services. The most common concern for the citizens would be the security of their personal information.
Samsung has already mentioned that its Galaxy S20 family of phones will have embedded Secure Element (eSE). It stores all the sensitive data on a separate processor inside the phone with proper isolation and protection against hardware attacks and attempts to copy information stored. Samsung claims that it will set the base for adding more documents on the phone, such as driver’s license, insurance cards, keys, etc.