📌 What This Research Asks

Biometric electronic ID programs (eIDs) are being rolled out across the Global South to improve citizen‑state legibility and government efficiency. These programs also raise privacy concerns—especially among groups with a history of mistrust in the state. If concerns about increased legibility change uptake or political behavior, eID programs could deepen existing social inequalities.

🧭 How the Evidence Was Gathered

• A paired‑profile (conjoint) experiment with 2,072 respondents across four Kenyan regions.
• Respondents represent three politically relevant group categories: politically dominant groups, opposition groups, and “securitized” (heavily policed) ethnic groups.
• Policy scenarios varied key eID design features to gauge willingness to register and perceived tradeoffs between service access and privacy.

🔎 Key Findings

• Broad overall support: Many respondents express willingness to register for expanded legibility when it promises improved access to government services.
• Group differences in policy preferences: Meaningful variation exists across politically dominant, opposition, and securitized groups in support for specific eID features.
• Surveillance and participation: There is suggestive evidence that policy features that facilitate surveillance may discourage political participation among opposition-aligned groups.

💡 Why It Matters

• Policy tradeoffs: The perceived benefits of service access often outweigh privacy concerns, helping explain broad acceptance of eIDs despite risks.
• Inequality risks: Differential preferences and behavioral responses across social and political groups imply that eID programs could exacerbate intergroup inequalities if design choices increase state legibility for some while deterring participation or access for others.

The findings illuminate how design choices in biometric ID programs shape both uptake and political effects across diverse societal groups in Kenya, with implications for similar initiatives across the Global South.