Articles

Woman considering a bottle of wine in a shop with the UK "Challenge 25" logo overlayed

Challenge 25: Enhancing age checks with facial age estimation and Digital IDs

‘Challenge 25’ is a scheme used by retailers who sell age-restricted products. It requires shoppers who are over 18 but look under 25 to show ID. But why was Challenge 25 introduced and how can age estimation technology and Digital IDs strengthen age checks in today’s world?   The history of Challenge 25 In 2005, test purchases revealed that some retailers were selling age-restricted items to underage customers. This testing was part of the Government’s Alcohol Misuse Enforcement Campaign (AMEC). Research commissioned at the time explored why these underage sales were taking place. The key finding showed that retail staff

6 min read
An illustration of a passport. The accompanying text says "Exploring social purpose: Identity verification".

Addressing social challenges: How identity verification can help solve everyday problems

At Yoti, we consider our social purpose alongside everything we do. Through every step of the design process, we think about the everyday challenges that our solutions can solve. This series looks at how our products can benefit individual users and wider society. This article focuses on how identity verification could help with some common issues.   Why do we need to verify our identity online? As technology evolves, more services are moving online. Companies need to ensure that the right people can access the right services for them. This has resulted in a growing need for people to prove

7 min read
An illustration depicting the job of a super recogniser to match faces with identity documents and photographs

Inside the unique role of Yoti's Super Recognisers

A Super Recogniser is a person with an innate ability to recognise faces. Only 1-2% of the global population who take the tests are classed as Super Recognisers. At Yoti, our Super Recognisers match faces 1:1. This means they can compare the photo on an identity document with a selfie and determine if it’s the same person. We do this if our automated check does not conclude this with high confidence, to help with trickier account creations, or when businesses want increased confidence about a person’s identity. Our highly skilled team of Super Recognisers also complete visual document verification checks

4 min read
Yoti's predictions for 2024

What’s in store for 2024

As we get our heads back into work after the festive break, our team has shared their predictions for 2024.    The threat from deepfakes will accelerate In 2023, the threat of AI generated deepfakes continued to make the headlines. Some celebrities and well-known public figures found a fake advert of them promoting special offers or investments. News stories reported scammers using AI to mimic the voice of a loved one or to pretend to be someone from their bank. And technology was used to create AI-generated child sexual abuse images. With over 70 countries hosting general elections in 2024,

7 min read
A look back on 2023

A look back on 2023

It’s been another busy year for all at Yoti. We launched a new Digital ID app with Lloyds Bank, continued to campaign for a safer internet, recertified as a B Corp and completed over 6.5 million age and identity checks every month. That and much more! Here’s a lookback on some of our favourite highlights from the year…    Launched a new Digital ID app with Lloyds Bank Lloyds Bank released a new Digital ID app – Lloyds Bank Smart ID. The app, which is built using our technology, gives people a more private, secure and convenient way to prove

5 min read
An illustration of a balaclava-wearing criminal on a laptop screen, with a Christmas hat positioned on top of the laptop

Stay Merry and Scam-Free: Avoiding a Criminal Christmas

With identity fraud peaking over the festive season and many shoppers now doing the bulk of their Christmas shopping online, it’s more important than ever to know how to protect yourself and your personal information.  Louise Bruder, our Super Recogniser and Training Manager, is well equipped to share her top tips on how to stay safe this festive season:   Check who you’re buying gifts from If you’re planning to buy your loved one a gift from an online marketplace it’s important to know who you’re buying from. After all, it’s very common for scammers to list fake concert tickets

5 min read