Implementing Chile's national digital identity strategy

Executive summary

This report examines how OECD and partner countries govern and finance digital identity systems, drawing lessons that can inform Chile’s national digital identity strategy. It builds on early engagement between the OECD and the Government of Chile during the strategy design process, and synthesises the discussions and materials shared throughout the project, structured around the OECD framework and international practice.

A well-designed digital identity system delivers clear benefits. It streamlines and secures access to services for individuals, lowers costs and compliance burdens for businesses with projections of a 3 to 13 percent GDP increase from widespread adoption by 2030, and allows governments to deliver services more efficiently with stronger fraud resistance and privacy safeguards. Digital identity is also expanding beyond basic verification and authentication. By 2026, roughly half a billion smartphone users are expected to use digital identity wallets, and many OECD countries will offer solutions that operate across sectors and borders. Governments remain central by setting the conditions for systems to function, operating selected components where necessary, and establishing the regulatory and governance baseline required for trust while enabling private providers to deliver services.

The growth of digital identity as critical infrastructure also brings risks. Solutions can become targets for cyberattacks, identity theft, and fraud, while technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing may introduce new vulnerabilities. Governments need to ensure systems are resilient, secure, and inclusive by embedding privacy-by-design principles, strong oversight, sustainable financing, and contingency measures to maintain trust.

Chile’s national digital identity strategy

Chile has made significant progress in digital identity with a robust legal identity system managed by the Civil Registry (SRCeI), and delivered through the ClaveÚnica platform, which provides access to over 1,800 online public services for more than 15.9 million users (OECD, 2019[1]). However, challenges remain, including rising digital fraud, fragmented regulatory coverage, and dispersed governance limiting cross-sector interoperability and adoption.

Launched in 2025, Chile’s national digital identity strategy seeks to establish, by 2030, a hybrid model in which the government retains core functions while enabling private-sector participation to improve services, expand adoption, and strengthen trust. The strategy is structured around three pillars:

• Governance: Establish a Digital Identity Executive Committee in 2026 and consolidating policy responsibility under a single public authority by 2030 to address fragmentation and promote a secure, standardised system.

• Technological development: Develop a government-sponsored identity broker to integrate multiple providers and allow choice among solutions with different assurance levels. Private and public actors will also develop trust services (e.g electronic signatures).

• Financing: Implement a cost-sharing model where private entities pay fees based on usage, while public sector use remains covered by the Digital Government Secretariat. In the longer term, Chile may extend cost-sharing to public service providers.

Emerging considerations for improvement

Building on the experience of OECD and partner countries as well as the early engagement with Chilean government, this section outlines key considerations that Chile may wish to consider as it advances the implementation of its digital identity strategy.

• Broaden stakeholder engagement in governance: To enhance coordination across sectors that depend on secure identity verification and authentication, Chile could consider involving representatives from regulated Know-Your-Customer (KYC) sectors (e.g., finance, telecommunications, insurance) as well as relevant public authorities. This inclusive approach would strengthen governance arrangements and foster cross-sectoral alignment.

• Strengthen institutional leadership: Assigning digital identity policy leadership to a well-resourced public authority with a cross-cutting mandate could help ensure coherence with broader digital government strategies. This would support alignment with service delivery, interoperability, and long-term sustainability, in line with international examples.

• Establish a transparent trust framework: Chile may wish to adopt a transparent trust framework that sets out clear rules for accreditation, assurance, privacy, and interoperability. Aligning this framework with national and international standards would reinforce trust and usability. In doing so, Chile could draw on existing country approaches and OECD work, including the G7 Mapping Exercise of Digital Identity Approaches, to inform requirements and levels of assurance.

• Enhance the security of ClaveÚnica: To reinforce trust and ensure a high level of assurance, Chile could consider strengthening ClaveÚnica security by implementing additional safeguards, such as multi-factor authentication, and other measures aligned with international good practices.

• Introduce private sector participation with caution: Chile may wish to explore the gradual inclusion of private service providers in the identity broker service, beginning with regulated KYC sectors such as banking and insurance. Following models such as that of France, this approach can help balance innovation with risk management and maintain user trust.

• Prepare for future developments in digital credentials: Looking ahead, Chile could begin planning for the expansion of digital credentials and the potential introduction of digital wallets. This would involve assessing implications for the identity broker service and ensuring alignment with emerging OECD and international practices for the secure and trusted sharing of digital attributes.

• Ensure long term sustainability and scalability: To support the continued development of Chile's digital identify ecosystem, consideration could be given to integrating multi-year funding frameworks into the core state modernisation budget. This would help secure stable financing for operations, audits, and security, while also enabling sustained adoption, innovation, and potential international interoperability.

• Safeguard institutional independence and oversight: Chile may also wish to ensure a clear financial and institutional separation between entities responsible for operating identity services and those tasked with oversight, accreditation, and policy development. Providing stable and predictable public funding for oversight and regulatory functions would help reinforce trust, transparency and accountability.

• Develop a sustainable fee model: Chile could consider designing a fee and compensation model for the identity broker that promotes uptake and ensure equitable access to key services, while also encouraging efficient use. This may include a distributed cost model and mixed funding schemes that combines public and private contributions, helping to balance sustainability with inclusiveness.