Gemalto & Veridos partner to secure Macau's citizen identity

Digital security player, Gemalto and German identity solution company, Veridos have partnered to supply contactless electronic identity cards (eIDs) to the Macao Special Administrative Region Government (Macao SAR Government). According to the partnership, Gemalto will act as a subcontractor and provide physical cards enhanced with security features and will incorporate Veridos’ operating system software solution. According to the digital security company, the new Macao eID cards are effective at mitigating fraud and counterfeiting activities and are made from tamper-proof polycarbonate material. The Cards will be incorporating two innovative security ID features from Gemalto: Window Lock and True Vision. While Window Lock implements a “negative” personalization process where the light-colored image is personalized by metal ablation. Hence, a fraudulent manipulation of the card holder portrait could easily be detected. True Vision feature implements images invisible under normal daylight that turn into brilliant true-color images with excellent color reproduction in under 365 nm UV exposures. The high-resolution images comprise UV ffluorescent inks with advanced color separation and half tone printing. These allow the authorities to verify the cards’ authenticity with the naked eye and under a UV light, in a bid to boost regional security for the Identification Services Bureau of the Macao SAR Government, while offering its citizens convenience when accessing e-government services.

“We originally started a strong partnership with Veridos and Trüb back in 2013. Since Gemalto incorporated Trüb, this cooperation has been extended accordingly,” said Elsie U Ao Ieong, Director, Identification Services Bureau of the Macao SAR Government. “We are confident that our concerted expertise and efforts will give Macao the technological edge in identity card security.”

The company states that the rationale behind the move was considering Macao’s future as a travel and tourist hub which currently attracts an average of 2.5 million international visitors on a monthly basis. Gemalto states that this influx of tourists places a greater emphasis on identity management and enforcement, which has become a major challenge for the government.

“Using the contactless eID cards, Macao citizens can now enjoy a secure and hassle-free “tap and go” experience, thanks to the high security features, tamper-proof ID design, and contactless capability,” said Fernando Dal Zotto, Senior Vice President, Government Programs, Gemalto.