Yoti blog
Stories and insights from the world of digital identity
Articles
Feb 10, 2025
Age assurance for online knife sales
At the end of January, the UK Government announced they will introduce stricter age checks for online knife sales. Buyers will need to submit a copy of their photo ID, such as a driving licence, as well as proof of address, such as a utility bill. The same person who bought the knife will have to show ID again on delivery, and no knife packages can be left on the doorstep. These measures are part of the upcoming Crime and Policing Bill, expected to be introduced in Parliament this Spring. While knife crime is a key focus of the
Articles
Feb 07, 2025
Verifying age with email address age estimation
As legislation increasingly serves to protect children online, businesses and platform operators require efficient and privacy-conscious methods to verify user ages. Email address verification is just one of these methods, leveraging email metadata to estimate a user’s age without collecting further personal information. This guide explores how email age estimation works, its reliability, regulatory compliance, and how it performs as a tool for businesses that wish to balance user experience and risk. What is email address age verification? Email address age verification is a method of age assurance used by websites and online operators to determine
Case studies
Feb 06, 2025
From 2 minutes to 10 seconds: how Diebold Nixdorf and Yoti are transforming and speeding up age verification at self-checkouts
“AI-powered age estimation technology has proved to have a hugely positive impact on the time taken at checkout and the levels of frustration felt by consumers. It also has the knock-on effect that the efficiency of the checkout improves, transaction times drop and there are fewer queues in the store. Additionally, it also frees up staff to better serve customers who need their help.” Matt Redwood Vice president, Diebold Nixdorf Diebold Nixdorf (NYSE: DBD), Incorporated, automates, digitises and transforms the way people bank and shop. As a partner to the majority of the world’s top 100 financial institutions
Articles
Feb 05, 2025
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, vaping and nicotine 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,
Articles
Jan 30, 2025
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 talks about the UK’s plan to introduce government-issued digital IDs, his predictions for the UK’s digital ID market, tackling the problem of deepfake porn and online age verification for knife sales. Initial thoughts about the UK’s rollout of government-issued digital IDs Game-changing news from the UK Government clearly shows that it’s very serious about a digital Britain and reusable digital ID. The positive ramifications for
Articles
Jan 29, 2025
Physical IDs vs. Digital IDs: What are the key differences?
Key differences between physical IDs and digital IDs include: Format of the ID Ability to protect personal data (through minimising the data shared) When the ID can be used Differing use cases Who issues the ID Security features and vulnerabilities Regulatory and legal acceptance Last year, multiple countries made big strides towards accepting digital IDs. Recognising that we live in an increasingly online world, and that fewer people are carrying wallets, more businesses, governments and organisations are choosing to accept digital IDs as a form of identification. Digital IDs and physical IDs serve the same fundamental
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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