Ensuring 100% Trustworthy Driver’s License Images, with No Risk of Identity Fraud

RDW, the Netherlands Vehicle Authority, has clear rules of engagement when it comes to verifying the image of driving license applicants. They need to know who has taken the picture, that the photographer is certified and authorized to do so, and that every step in the transmission of data—from camera click to delivery—is tracked, tamper-free, and provably secure.

Three parties are involved in the value chain: Pass Photo Organisation, which manages all qualified passport photographers, PhoCS (Photo Card Service, which provides the software that passport photographers use to deliver ICAO passport photos to RDW), and RDW itself. 

Previously, all passport photographers used usernames and passwords to log into the PhoCS application. While this process was already secure, parties throughout the value chain knew investing in more sophisticated encryption and authentication would help future-proof their business.

Designed with User Experience in Mind

Built on digital certificate technology, ConsentID uses advanced encryption and authentication protocols to ensure the photographer’s identity is verified. And that all relevant information, including the photographer’s digital certificate and signature, is securely stored and transmitted. The beauty is that all the complexity sits on the back end.

AET Europe designed the system with the user in mind. Photographers simply download a smartphone app and scan a QR code to authenticate themselves and their work in a safe, fast, and easy way. There are no plug-ins, logins, usernames, or passwords to remember.

Taking RDW’s strict rules and PhoCS’ standard operating procedures as a starting point, AET Europe built the solution to be operationally relevant and integrate seamlessly into existing workflows. And compliance is baked in, to the point where this has become a marketing message: RDW can confidently publicize that it has a fully eIDAS and ISO-compliant solution, thanks to AET Europe’s high standards.

Dream Rollout and Stellar Technical Support from a Trusted Partner

• Sailing through compliance: RDW requires PhoCS and other service providers to deliver a yearly external audit report on security and compliance. ConsentID passed two months before the deadline and got a blemish-free report.

• User experience: The easy-to-use system won over photographers with no resistance. Around 4,500 photographers now use the app to serve more customers faster and more accurately.

• Speed: Integrating ConsentID into the PhoCS systems took just four months. A 24/7 support team was on hand when the solution went live to ease adoption and troubleshoot any issues, but they were barely needed.

• Performance: ConsentID fits seamlessly into the PhoCS infrastructure, with virtually no inbound support calls reported by the company since launch.

Safer and Faster, from Camera Click to Card  

• More efficient: With fewer failed identity checks and delays, RDW can issue more licenses in less time. 
  
• Safer: Driver’s licenses are official ID documents, and RDW takes their integrity seriously. By guarding against fakes, forgeries, and identity theft, ConsentID delivers a top-notch service to consumers and raises trust in public institutions.
  
• Faster: Taking and delivering the picture takes less than five minutes: Sit, sign, and it’s done. Turnaround for a license renewal can now be as fast as two days, down from one week previously.

Mobile Driver’s Licenses and Beyond

As the EU transitions to mobile driver’s licenses, held in digital wallets and fully equivalent to the physical driver’s license, secure identity verification remains high on RDW’s agenda. Digitization is an important use case for ConsentID: Identification in all its forms can benefit from this technology, whether driving licenses, passports, IDs, or any other type of service requiring a high-level authentication method.

AET Europe and PhoCS are ready for the future, as digitization becomes a major part of government and business services.

Curious about how this approach might benefit your organization? Reach out to our team of experts to see how we can support your goals.