Yoti blog
Stories and insights from the world of digital identity
Articles
Jul 30, 2020
Identity theft in the Western Cape
This is the fourth field diary entry from Tshepo, one of our Yoti Digital Identity Fellows. His year-long research project is looking at the digital identity landscape in South Africa, with a specific focus on the national smart ID identity programme from a human rights perspective. ***** Identity theft is rising in South Africa, with fraudsters costing the economy more than R1 billion every year. While each province has its own story to tell in terms of statistics and impact, the problem is truly a national one. My research has continued in the Western Cape, the official COVID-19 epicentre
Articles
Jul 24, 2020
FRANKD & Yoti’s breakthrough COVID-19 testing system brings UK theatre back to a socially-distanced stage
We couldn’t be more excited to see our breakthrough COVID-19 testing system get the UK’s first socially-distanced indoor theatre performance on stage at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre. Sleepless, A Musical Romance, will be performing daily COVID-19 tests with FRANKD & Yoti, which delivers a result directly to an individual’s phone within 30 minutes of being tested. The FRANKD tests will be carried out and analysed on-site in the theatre without the need for a laboratory. This fast and effective testing system will help the theatre company create a COVID-secure environment and rehearse safely before their premiere on Tuesday 1
Articles
Jul 23, 2020
The personal cost of accessing COVID financial support in Argentina
This is the fourth field diary entry from Paz, one of our Digital Identity Fellows. Her year-long research project is focused on unravelling what digital identity, and identity in general, means to the unemployed and under-employed individuals receiving support from public job centres and local labour organisations in Gran Buenos Aires and Mar del Plata in Argentina. ***** There’s little doubt that the Coronavirus pandemic is accelerating the digitisation of people’s everyday lives, in some places acting as an excuse to push certain groups to engage with technology and institutions in ways that might have seemed unlikely a year ago
Articles
Jul 15, 2020
A step change in data protection and email phishing with digital identities and Galaxkey
Email phishing is an age-old method of cybercrime that is becoming increasingly more sophisticated with modern technologies. According to Verizon’s 2021 Data Breach Investigations report, 36% of all cyber attacks involved email phishing, posing a huge threat to large organisations and individuals. In an increasingly digital world where remote work is commonplace, it has never been more vital for organisations to protect their business operations. Following an annual increase of 25% in email phishing, looking towards email encryption is one way businesses can help to avoid future data breaches relating to cybercrime. Our latest partnership with Galaxkey combines high-level encryption
Articles
Jul 03, 2020
United for a safer internet with OSTIA
We’re honoured to be one of the founding members of the Online Safety Tech Industry Association (OSTIA), a new UK industry body dedicated to tackling online safety. The group brings together advisory bodies and tech companies in a shared goal of making the internet safer and hopes to provide a voice of hope by offering solutions to address key issues in a complex debate so often focused on what can’t be done. With support from the National Crime Agency, GCHQ, the Home Office, NSPCC, the group will serve as a forum for companies working on potential solutions and create collective
Articles
Jul 02, 2020
Reinforcing our commitment to protecting children from online harms by joining the Point de Contact association
We are delighted to announce we have been accepted into the Point de Contact association to help the fight against abuse and inappropriate online content. Point de Contact was created in 1998 to contribute to the fight against illegal content on the internet and facilitate the reporting of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Point de Contact is also a member of the French Monitoring Committee for protecting children from online pornography and has been supported by successive European Commission programs. Point de Contact is a founding member of INHOPE – the International Association of Internet Hotlines which unites over 40
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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