At the request of Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Vietnamese citizens will be required to provide biometric data such as voice recordings, iris scans, and even DNA samples for identity verification starting July 1

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has instructed the Ministry of Public Security to begin collecting this data as part of the Vietnamese government's efforts to implement the revised Citizen Identification Law, which was ratified by the Vietnamese National Assembly on November 27, 2023 and will take effect on July 1, 2024 The law will allow biometric data, including blood types and other DNA-specific data, to be collected and shared across government agencies to verify identity In addition, all Vietnamese citizens over the age of 14 will be issued new ID cards, and the use of ID cards for those between the ages of 6 and 14 will be voluntary

According to the proposed amendments, the new ID cards will include the functional capabilities of a driver's license, birth certificate, marriage certificate, health insurance card, and social insurance card

The Ministry of Public Security, in cooperation with other government agencies, will integrate the biometric data collected for the new identification system into a database to be shared among said agencies This database will be used by the government "to carry out its functions and duties," according to the amended National Identification Act

The amendment states that data will be "voluntarily provided by a citizen or by an agency that administers criminal proceedings or a person to whom administrative measures are applied, in the course of resolving a case in accordance with its functions and duties, whether seeking an evaluation or collecting biometric information about DNA" It states that voice recordings will be collected and shared "with the identity management agency for the purpose of updating and coordinating the identity database"

While the new ID cards will continue to contain basic information about the cardholder, such as full name, date of birth, gender, age, and identification number, some information will be omitted from the new ID cards This includes the citizen's fingerprints and identification information Furthermore, the Police Administration and Social Order Bureau will no longer be in charge of issuing IDs; the Ministry of Public Security will take over this task

Since these cards contain so much valuable data and even more valuable biometric data is stored by that agency, it is imperative that the Vietnamese government take appropriate measures to protect its citizens' data Failure to do so could have serious consequences