Prof. Dr. Almir Badnjević, Director of the Agency for Identification Documents, Registers and Data Exchange of Bosnia and Herzegovina (IDDEEA), is participating as one of the panelists at a regional conference organized by the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham), dedicated to combating illegal trade, improving regulatory oversight, and protecting minors in the digital environment.
Badnjević was invited to present the experience of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the concrete digital solutions being developed by IDDEEA, as an example of institutions in the Western Balkans that are already establishing the technological foundations for safer, more reliable, and more responsible use of digital services.
As part of the panel entitled “How to Ensure Effective Oversight of Illegal Trade, Including the Protection of Minors”, special attention will be given to preventing illegal sales through the internet, social media, and digital platforms; controlling access to age-restricted products and services; and exploring the possibilities of applying digital identity, electronic identification, and artificial intelligence to protect citizens.
One of the key questions is how to reliably establish whether a person is of legal age in the digital environment without unnecessarily disclosing their personal data, while also ensuring greater accountability among participants in electronic commerce.
Digital identity can play an exceptionally important role in this area. By using reliable electronic identification and digital credentials, it is possible to develop systems that enable users’ ages to be verified securely, while simultaneously protecting privacy and ensuring compliance with personal data protection regulations.
“We cannot expect digital commerce to be safe if reliable mechanisms are not in place to verify who is participating in a particular transaction and whether they meet the legal requirements for carrying it out. Digital identity is not merely a means of accessing electronic services. It can become one of the key instruments for protecting minors, preventing abuse, and building a more responsible digital market. Our goal must be to use technology to protect citizens, rather than create new barriers to their rights and freedoms,” Badnjević emphasized.
The conference is also particularly important because it will address the European regulatory framework, including the Digital Services Act (DSA), which establishes obligations for digital platforms regarding illegal content, the traceability of traders, and the protection of minors.
IDDEEA’s experience in developing digital identity, qualified electronic signatures, electronic services, and secure data exchange provides a basis for discussing concrete models that could also be implemented at the regional level, through cooperation among competent institutions, regulators, and the private sector.
The participation of the IDDEEA Director in this conference represents another opportunity for Bosnia and Herzegovina to present itself as a country that, despite the challenges of digital transformation, is developing concrete technological solutions and can actively contribute to regional initiatives and alignment with European digital standards.
Digital security, the protection of minors, and lawful electronic commerce are issues that cannot be resolved solely within the borders of a single country. Therefore, regional cooperation, the interoperability of digital systems, and the use of trusted electronic identities are important prerequisites for a safer digital market in the Western Balkans.