Belgian children to be protected by Gemalto ID cards

Gemalto announced the launch of an eID solution as part of its Belgian government program aimed at expanding its national eID initiative. The program consists of employing dedicated eID cards for children under 12 years old. The specific features of the card are intended to increase their security. 

The new Kids-ID card has three main functionalities: firstly, it serves as an electronic national ID for Belgian children and contains all necessary ID information of the child; second, it enables the possibility of reaching necessary parties, selected by the child’s parents, in emergency situations through the hotline number printed on the card; and the last, the ID card allows the child to use the Internet for services that the child is allowed to use and those requiring identification through a built-in PIN code. 

Fedict (Federal Public Service of Belgium Information and Communication Technology), which is responsible for developing e-Government projects, has already started deploying the Kids-ID program. The Belgium’s nationwide electronic ID program was launched in 2003, and in January 2009, the e-IDs in use have already exceeded 8 million (over 90% of the targeted population) shows Fedict.