  National digital identity systems have become a key requirement for easy
access to online public services, specially during Covid-19. While many
countries have adopted a national digital identity system, many are still in
the process of establishing one. Through a comparative analysis of the
technological and legal dimensions of a few selected national digital identity
solutions currently being used in different countries, we highlight the
diversity of technologies and architectures and the key role of the legal
framework of a given digital identity solution. We also present several key
issues related to the implementation of these solutions, how to ensure the
State sovereignty over them, and how to strike the right balance between
private sector and public sector needs. This position paper aims to help policy
makers, software developers and concerned users understand the challenges of
designing, implementing and using a national digital identity management system
and establishing a legal framework for digital identity management, including
personal data protection measures. The authors of this paper have a favorable
position for self-sovereign identity management systems that are based on
Blockchain technology, and we believe they are the most suitable for national
digital identity systems.
