OpenID Foundation to showcase global digital ID interoperability

The OpenID Foundation is set to host an online demonstration of global digital identity interoperability, highlighting collaboration across ten teams and the involvement of governmental representatives from three regions.

The upcoming webinar is designed to exhibit interoperability between various digital identity credentials and wallets, using specifications such as the OpenID Foundation's OpenID for Verifiable Presentation (OID4VP), High Assurance Interoperability Profile (HAIP), and the World Wide Web Consortium's Digital Credentials API (DC API). Participants will see these specifications operating across regions and formats, including ISO/IEC SC17 18013-5 mobile driver's licences (mDL/mdoc) and IETF SD-JWT verifiable credential formats.

The event will feature ten wallet and verifier teams, with participation from organisations including 1Password, Animo, Bundesdruckerei, Google, Mattr, Microsoft, the National Institute of Standards and Technology National Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence (NIST NCCoE), and Spruce.

The demonstration is being presented as a milestone in digital identity, enabling global cooperation among government contributors, industry experts, and peer standards bodies. According to the press release, this effort aims for scalable, interoperable, and secure protocols, designed from the outset for international and multi-stakeholder relevance.

The event will also highlight the NIST NCCoE Digital Identities – Mobile Driver's License (mDL) architecture, which utilises OID4VP, DC API, and HAIP specifications as part of an "open a bank account" use case. The OpenID Foundation has participated in this project since August 2024 as a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) signatory.

Gail Hodges, Executive Director of the OpenID Foundation, stated, "The tools at the heart of this interoperability demonstration are built with security and privacy in mind, protecting users' personal information while simplifying the process of proving identity online, cross platforms and cross device."

"Beyond the technical safeguards, these advances stand to benefit millions if not billions of people as more and more jurisdictions and institutions issue credentials and they become widely accepted".

The webinar is expected to include demonstrations of interoperability among multiple digital wallet and verifier platforms, as well as testimonials from developers about their experience deploying the standards. VIP governmental representatives from three regions have been invited to discuss their observations and plans for adopting the specifications.

Joseph Heenan, Co-Chair of the Digital Credentials Protocols Working Group, said, "Our demonstration not only proves the interoperability of our evolving standards, but also reinforces our commitment to empowering billions worldwide with secure, seamless, and privacy-preserving digital identity solutions. With these standards moving swiftly toward finalisation and implementation readiness, we call on all stakeholders to join us on this journey toward a secure, interoperable, and user-centric digital future."

The session will be relevant to a broad audience, including digital identity service providers, digital wallet issuers, government officials concerned with credential issuance and regulation, and standards experts from multiple international organisations.

Attendees will view interoperability demonstrations of OpenID for Verifiable Presentations and the W3C Digital Credentials API, working across several platforms and using various credential types, including ISO mobile documents (mDocs) and Selective Disclosure JWTs (SD-JWTs). The showcase will also present the High Assurance Interoperability Profile, which is intended to deliver interoperability and default security, with guidance for implementers on how to work with an open-source test suite from the OpenID Foundation.

The Foundation has acknowledged the contribution of standards experts, interoperability participants, and government partners, including the European Commission, NIST, the California Department of Motor Vehicles, and the Japanese Digital Agency. Additional thanks were extended to peer organisations and contributors from the W3C, IETF, ISO/IEC, and FIDO, as well as the OpenID Foundation Certification Team.

Juliana Cafik, Principal Program Manager and Identity Standards Architect at Microsoft, commented, "Microsoft is dedicated to leading the advancement of secure and privacy-preserving digital identity solutions. This event highlights our commitment to creating a seamless and interoperable digital identity ecosystem through collaboration with global stakeholders."

"By participating in the development of open standards, we are ensuring that digital identities are universally accessible and trusted, empowering everyone to engage confidently in the digital world."

Rohey Livne, Group Product Manager for Android at Google, said, "Android is deeply committed to continuing to foster open ecosystems and standards that prioritise user security and privacy. This collaboration and interoperability on standards across the industry are a significant step towards a future where secure digital identities are seamless and universally accessible, empowering both developers and users."

The OpenID Foundation intends to finalise publication of the OpenID for Verifiable Presentation (OID4VP), OpenID for Verifiable Credential Issuance (OID4VCI), and the High Assurance Interoperability Profile (HAIP) specifications following feedback from this event.