© , Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. In most countries e-Identity card adoption has had limited or little success. A notable exception to this is the case of Hong Kong. This article examines this phenomenon and contrasts it with the lackluster performance of this technology, in Europe in particular. It is suggested that several useful lessons can be learned from the Hong Kong experience and some possible directions for the future research into the nature and role of e-Identity cards are proposed.