As the world is becoming increasingly digital and mobile, various new technologies are popping up day-by-day. The smartphone and telecom companies seem to have taken up the lead. The electronics company Samsung announced that it has partnered with the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), Deutsche Telekom Security GmbH, and Bundesdruckerei (bdr) to allow its Galaxy S20 series to serve the official ID in the European nation. Samsung Galaxy S20 will be the first smartphone in Germany which is allowed to carry the mobile ID solution. German citizens can use this mobile ID to open bank accounts and access various government services. The company said that the eID solution will become available later this year.
The embedded Secure Elements (eSE) dedicated security chip found in the Galaxy S20 series makes the solution possible. According to Samsung, eSE Security Chip is the highest level of encryption currently available. Germany has shown its confidence in Samsung’s tech by allowing the company to participate in its national eID framework.
How Samsung S20 Will Work as an ID
Germany government and Samsung are working on an app that will utilize the framework created by Samsung to store IDs securely. The app will enable the e-identification process in Germany and will be available on the Google Play Store.
Samsung said that all the four partners have developed a “holistic security architecture centered around the foundation of smartphone security – the hardware.” The company credits the highly secure chip built directly into the phone. This chip stores the information locally on the device and gives the users full control over their data.
The Samsung’s eID solution is also compatible with European Union eIDAS Regulations. EU eIDAS regulations are a set of rules mandated by the European Union to allow the citizens of its nations to use their electronic IDs across borders. It brings a possibility of broader adoption of the standard in other parts of Europe as well.
