Yoti blog
Stories and insights from the world of digital identity
Press releases
Nov 20, 2024
’Tis the season to be thrifty: UK shoppers hunt out Christmas bargains on eBay, Etsy and Vinted, but scam fears linger
More than half of young people have been scammed themselves or know someone who has been scammed via secondhand marketplaces A quarter of Brits fear falling victim to online scams London, UK – 20th November 2024 – As the cost of living crisis continues to bite, new research from digital identity company Yoti (carried out by Censuswide) reveals that UK shoppers are tightening their belts this festive season, with 65% turning to online marketplaces in search of affordable Christmas gifts on sites such as eBay (46%), Etsy (27%), Vinted (22%) and Facebook Marketplace (18%). However, while bargain-hunting
Articles
Nov 14, 2024
Understanding age assurance in the UK’s Tobacco and Vapes Bill
In a significant move towards tightening regulations on tobacco and vaping products, the UK has introduced the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. Originally introduced by the previous Conservative government, the Bill has now been reintroduced by the new Labour government, signalling bipartisan support. The Bill aims to create a “smoke-free generation” by gradually raising the age of sale for tobacco and vaping products every year until they are completely phased out across the UK. What is the main aim of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill? The Tobacco and Vapes Bill seeks to tighten the regulatory framework around tobacco and
Press releases
Nov 08, 2024
Deloitte UK Technology Fast 50 2024 - Yoti named as one of the UK's fastest growing tech companies
8th November 2024, London, UK – Yoti, a leader in digital identity, has been named in the 2024 Deloitte UK Technology Fast 50, ranking among the UK’s fastest growing technology companies. This achievement reflects Yoti’s impressive 1848% revenue growth over the last three years, securing its position at number 20 on the list. Robin Tombs, CEO at Yoti said: “We’re delighted to be recognised as one of the UK’s fastest growing technology companies. When we started Yoti a decade ago, we set out to fix the broken identity system. Thanks to the dedication and hard work by our team,
Articles
Oct 25, 2024
Age Check Certification Scheme evaluation for Yoti Facial Age Estimation
We are pleased to announce Yoti has been re-evaluated by the Age Check Certification Scheme (ACCS) for our facial age estimation (FAE) on our latest September 2024 model. ACCS now report our Mean Absolute Error (MAE) for 18 year olds is just 1.05 years, with a Standard Deviation (SD) of just 1.01 years. ACCS first tested Yoti’s September 2020 model in November 2020, reporting the MAE for 18 year olds to be 1.79, demonstrating our continued effort to improve the performance of our model. Yoti has been training its FAE model since early 2018 by using data captured mainly
Articles
Oct 25, 2024
Thoughts from our CEO
In this blog series, our CEO Robin Tombs will be sharing his experience, whilst focusing on major themes, news and issues in the world of identity verification and age assurance. This month, Robin gives a summary of the upcoming legislation for online porn in France, responds to Ofcom’s claims that facial age estimation is not effective for under 13s, and looks at the upcoming Digital Information and Smart Data Bill. French regulator introduces age checks for online adult content Big news this month that Arcom, the French regulator responsible for online porn, has announced the date that platforms
Articles
Oct 24, 2024
Understanding the UK’s new Data Bill
The Data (Use and Access) Bill, known more simply as the “Data Bill”, is a landmark piece of UK legislation that aims to reshape how individuals and businesses interact with digital data. It will introduce provisions for a national digital identity trust framework, helping to foster trust in digital identities by ensuring that businesses adhere to strict standards during digital transactions. This blog gives an overview of the Data Bill and what this means for digital identities in the UK. Why has the Government introduced the Data Bill? The Government has said that the Bill will “unlock the
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Articles
Aug 29, 2024
Protecting your heart and wallet: understanding romance scams
It is said that love makes the world go round. But as genuine daters are looking for love, there’s a growing risk of falling into a scammer’s trap. In this blog we explore the impact of romance fraud, common tactics used by fraudsters and how daters can protect themselves in their search for love. What is romance fraud? Romance fraud occurs when a scammer uses a fake profile and false identity to trick unsuspecting people on dating sites. They usually do this for fraudulent reasons and financial gain. The fraudster will often go to great lengths, convincing
Articles
May 28, 2024
The importance of transparency for facial age estimation
To protect young people online, businesses need to provide age-appropriate experiences for their users. This could apply to online marketplaces, social media networks, content sharing platforms and gaming sites. But to put the correct measures in place, businesses need to know the ages of their customers. It was previously thought that the only way to confidently establish a user’s age was with an identity document, like a passport or driving licence, or checks to third-party databases such as credit reference agencies or mobile network operators. However, regulators are now recognising facial age estimation as an effective alternative. As with
Articles
May 14, 2024
Making age checks inclusive
In today’s world, we can access a range of goods, services and experiences online. As a result, regulations are being passed across the globe to ensure that young people safely navigate the digital world. From the UK’s Online Safety Act to age verification laws in the US, platforms are being required to check the ages of their users. To do this effectively, the age assurance methods offered must be inclusive and accessible to as many people as possible. Why can’t businesses just use ID documents? Most people tend to think of age assurance as checking a person’s age