Amba Karsondas Profile Picture

Amba Karsondas

Amba is responsible for all things Social Purpose at Yoti, ensuring that Yoti effectively balances profit with purpose and continually upholds its ethical and moral commitments.

Image of woman's face being estimated for age, which is not the same as facial recongition

Why Yoti’s facial age estimation is not facial recognition

There’s quite a bit of confusion about the differences between facial age estimation and facial recognition. While both types of technology work with images of faces, they’re used for different reasons and are trained in different ways. To help clear up some of these misconceptions, we’ve explained some of the key ways that our facial age estimation is not facial recognition.   Facial age estimation vs. facial recognition: designed to give two different outcomes. Facial age estimation delivers an estimated age result. Facial recognition delivers a match (or no match) between images of a person. [vc_column_text

9 min read
Image of a person whose face is being checked to see whether or not it is a computer generated image

Deepfake laws: Global regulations in the digital age against sexually explicit and criminal use of deepfakes

If someone said the word ‘deepfake’ just a decade ago, nobody would know what they were talking about. The term hadn’t been coined and the technology as we know it hadn’t yet been created. Fast forward to the present day and it seems as though deepfakes are everywhere. However, their explosive and widespread prevalence has highlighted some serious problems such as criminal offence and sexually explicit deepfakes.. In response, regulatory bodies are beginning to pass laws to combat these issues, but they’re competing against the rapid evolution of the technology. This article gives a snapshot of some of

12 min read
A woman smiling whilst sitting down and using a laptop.

Understanding Australia's Digital ID Acts

Australia’s Digital ID Acts mark a significant milestone for Digital ID use across the world. Having just received Royal Assent, the Acts aim to provide people with a secure, convenient way to prove their identity online. Here’s some of the key information you need to know.   What are Australia’s new Digital ID Acts? Australia’s Digital ID Acts are made up of two different (but similarly named) pieces of legislation. These are the Digital ID Act 2024 and the Digital ID (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Act 2024. Together, they are known simply as “the Digital ID Acts”.   Why

7 min read
An image of Robin with accompanying text that reads "Thoughts from our CEO, Robin Tombs, June 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. There’s been a lot about facial age estimation this month, with Robin talking about its use by Meta in Australia as well as our facial age estimation demo site. He also chats about Yoti’s NIST assessment and how Digital IDs can be used to combat fraud.   Meta introduces facial age estimation in Australia We’re delighted Meta is rolling out Yoti’s facial age estimation on Facebook, starting in Australia.

6 min read
An image of Dr. Sindhu Joseph, who is smiling at the camera. The accompanying text says "Meet the Guardians: Dr. Sindhu Joseph".

Meet the Guardians: Dr. Sindhu Joseph

At Yoti, our Guardian Council helps us to navigate the complex world of identity. They are an independent board of advisors who act as a moral sounding board for the company. We’ve had a chat with our newest Guardian, Dr. Sindhu Joseph, to find out more about why she chose to be part of Yoti’s Guardian Council.   1) Why did you decide to join Yoti’s Guardian Council? When Yoti reached out to me to join the Guardian Council, I was fascinated by the company’s vision and what Yoti is trying to achieve, particularly from a company-building perspective. Today,

5 min read
An image of a girl looking at her smartphone. Surrounding her are illustrative icons such as a shield which represents privacy and a set of scales representing fairness.

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

7 min read