Catalonia goes Blockchain: "IdentiCAT" should empower citizens

The Spanish province of Catalonia wants to use IdentiCAT to develop its own digital identity solution for its citizens. It is not about state control, but about more self-determination and privacy on the part of the Catalans.

The government of the Spanish province of Catalonia is planning a blockchain-based identity solution called IdentiCAT. This is reported by the Catalan news portal VilaWeb. IdentiCAT was presented last Saturday, 8th September, by Catalan President Quim Torra and Jordi Puigneró, Minister of Digital and Public Administration. The politicians emphasized that IdentiCAT should not serve to monitor the Catalans. On the contrary: IdentiCAT should be decentralized and give users the right to their personal data at all times.

As the name implies, IdentiCAT should be available exclusively to Catalan citizens, including foreigners. However, President Torra makes it clear that IdentiCAT is not an official passport; rather, it is understood as a tool that empowers users to self-determined and digital services while preserving their privacy.

Now is the time to lead the digital revolution. We speak of an entrepreneurial society that takes into account social innovations and innovations. The goal of this government is to put people at the center of their politics - including the digital,

said Torra in the presentation of IdentiCAT.

The regulatory framework for IdentiCAT is the European Union's Electronic Identification, Authentication and Trust Services (eIDAS) Regulation. The aim of eIDAS is the legal equalization of digital transactions, signatures and certificates.

IdentiCAT is scheduled to start in 2020. An ambitious goal, considering that initially a developer for the proposed digital identity solution should be found. For this purpose, the Catalan government is planning a tender with an order value of 550,000 euros, which will start shortly.

Blockchain technology conquers digital identity
However, Catalonia is not alone in pushing towards blockchain-based digital identity solutions. Just recently, Sierra Leone announced it would introduce a national blockchain ID system by the end of this year. Meanwhile, Swisscom Blockchain and NEO are working on a decentralized ID card solution called Seraph-ID in Switzerland.

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