Online ID document checks to expand in UK

Is the UK taking a sideways step or a step closer to digital ID by allowing more checks to be done with uploaded identity documents? Changes to the Identity Trust Framework promise private-sector provision for faster, more secure checks of people’s right to rent, work and apply for background checks. Among ID document and selfie biometric authentication providers, the UK’s Yoti is working to bring digital ID to Open Banking, Blinking has its sights set on European expansion, and iDenfy has added a new capability.

UK to launch certification for private-sector identity checking technology

Employers and landlords in the UK will be able to use certified private-sector identity document verification technology (IDVT) to check the credentials of potential renters and workers to determine their rights, according to a policy paper from the Home Office, Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport and the background checking department, Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS).

This will be the result of upcoming changes to proposals for new legislation to establish the UK Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework as it heads into the beta stage in early 2022 before taking formal effect.

The updates follow positive feedback received by the Home Office for its remote right to work and right to rent checks handled remotely during the COVID-19.

The use of private IDVT providers is intended for checks of people outside the scope of services operated by the Home Office for, such as British and Irish citizens. The changes to legislation will take effect from 6 April 2022.

The policy paper states that the changes will make proving eligibility to work, rent or apply for a DBS check easier by letting people upload images of documents instead of presenting physical documents.

The Identity Trust Scheme will also allow private sector IDVT service providers to become independently certified to conduct the checks and ensure data is protected. This process will open in January 2022.

Yoti partners with Ecospend to take its digital ID to Open Banking

UK digital identity firm Yoti is partnering with “next generation payments and data company” Ecospend to offer Open Banking attribute and payment capabilities to services aimed at consumers, business and government clients.

Ecospend is the Open Banking provide to UK’s tax authority, HMRC, the first Open Banking payment integration with a government anywhere in the world. Integrating Ecospend’s services with Yoti’s biometrics-backed reusable digital ID will enable its use with various financial institutions.

“Having started working with HMRC earlier in 2021, we are really looking forward to growing our UK presence with Yoti and by extension the UK Post Office, underlining how we are fast emerging as the key Open Banking platform in the UK and in Europe,” comments James Hickman, chief commercial officer at Ecospend.

“We look forward to the unique opportunity that secure, verified digital identity and open banking provides for businesses and governments to make cost savings while improving security and the quality of their user experiences. We have over 50 UK bank API’s and are approaching the completion of our European PSD2 model, paving the way for a positive start to 2022.”

Blinking plans European expansion for digital ID services

A somewhat salesy interview in Ekonomija I Biznis with Milos Milovanovic, co-founder and chief operating officer of Serbian biometric and digital ID provision and verification firm Blinking explores the firm’s plans for expansion.

Milovanovic claims the firm is the market leader in the Western Balkans including Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Northern Macedonia, and has clients in Canada, Switzerland and the UK. He says that they plan to build on their recent increased workload and team size to become “an important player in the European market through a leading position in the region” (via online translation from the Macedonian).

“In just a few months, any company can shorten the customer acquisition process by 80 percent, reduce internal costs by 60 percent,” Milovanovic says. “By automating the implementation process of our Blinking Identify platform, you enable the increase of the customer base, at the same time reducing the costs and optimizing the work.”

As well as the more typical services in the financial sector, Blinking offers its users a different experience in hospitality. “We give preference to customers who check into the hotel through our service, and the key card is waiting for them at the reception or in a specially designed mailbox that opens via a QR code,” adds Milovanovic.

“This avoids waiting and mandatory identification at the reception, and depending on the hotel they use various other benefits. As you can see the opportunities for improving all kinds of businesses are immeasurable, you just need to initiate them with the help of our Blinking Identify platform.”

iDenfy launches enhanced phone verification

Lithuanian identity verification firm iDenfy is launching an updated product for verifying phone numbers used in KYC to further reduce fraud. The API will call the number to assess risk and recommend actions by collecting data on customer location, roaming status, current network, availability and phone contract details.

Clients can send customers a one-time password or text-to-speech message as a double-check for either fraud prevention or as part of the onboarding process.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  Blinking  |  consumer adoption  |  digital ID  |  digital identity  |  Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework (DIATF)  |  document verification  |  face biometrics  |  iDenfy  |  identity verification  |  onboarding  |  open banking  |  UK  |  Yoti