Implementing Chile's national digital identity strategy

4. 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. These considerations reflect the outcomes of the engagement process and are not intended as prescriptive recommendations. Rather, they aim to highlight potential avenues for strengthening Chile’s approach, informed by international practices and OECD standards. Further work will be needed to conduct a comprehensive assessment of Chile’s digital identity ecosystem and to support the country in moving forward with the implementation of its strategy.

4.1. Emerging considerations for implementing actions under the Governance pillar

• 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 sectors (e.g., finance, telecommunications, insurance) as well as relevant public authorities. This inclusive approach would strengthen governance arrangement 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.

4.2. Emerging considerations for implementing actions under the Technological development pillar

• 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.

4.3. Emerging considerations for implementing actions under the Financing pillar

• 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.