What does "identification" mean in IAM, how is it done, and what does it change about the registered attributes?

Identification is the procedure for gaining secure and unambiguous knowledge of who a natural person is; it requires a biometric comparison of the person with an identity document, and attributes established this way count as confirmed attributes of high quality.

Identification (synonym: Identitätsfeststellung, establishing identity) answers the question "who are you?" with certainty. It requires a biometric match: the person's face (and possibly fingerprints) is compared with the photo or data in an identity document such as:

• a passport,
• the Swiss identity card,
• an identity card recognised for entry into Switzerland,
• the planned Swiss E-ID.

If identification is part of a registration, the attributes taken from the document are confirmed attributes. That is the difference between an account that says "name: Alice Baumann" because Alice typed it, and one that says so because an official document was checked against her face. Not every registration needs this level; a newsletter signup does not, a bank account does.

Go deeper:

• The Swiss e-ID (eid.admin.ch) — the official site of the state-issued electronic identity that will serve as an identification document online.