United Kingdom
Bus operator National Express West Midlands has announced a partnership with digital identity firm Yoti to accept digital Student IDs on its buses.
Students can now download the free Student ID and present this as proof of student status when travelling on National Express buses in the West Midlands and Coventry. The introduction of the new Student IDs allows revenue inspectors to quickly confirm student discount tickets and helps improve the customer experience when travelling.
South Korea
Digital identity vendor Hopae has secured $6.5m in funding to expand its operations and bring its proprietary Digital Credential eXpress (DCX) architecture to the US.
The funds will support Hopae’s global expansion, including establishing a US headquarters in San Francisco and building strategic partnerships in Europe.
United States
IDEMIA Public Security North America has announced a partnership with Kudelski IoT, a division of the Kudelski Group. The collaboration aims to enhance fraud prevention and regulatory compliance in the automotive retail industry by leveraging IDEMIA’s Identity and Verification (ID&V) technology.
Kudelski IoT will deploy IDEMIA’s ID&V solution for document authentication and biometric matching across its large base of US automotive dealership customers. The solution will be used to validate driver’s licences and verify customer identities during critical processes such as test drives, financing applications, and vehicle purchases.
Qatar
The Qatar Digital Identity (QDI) app is poised for a series of enhancements designed to improve user experience and operational efficiency.
The app will now collect digital ID and other official documents of individuals, said an official.
“The future plan is that all documents and certificates of a person, and financial receipts that will be submitted by the person will be within the QDI app, which will make it easier for users to access their all official documents within one application,” said First Lieutenant Abdulrahman Abdullah Jamal.
Sri Lanka
The Sri Lanka government cloud, the Digital ID and digitising bus and train tickets will be high-priority projects of the Digital Economic Ministry, according to officials.
The ministry will compare and analyse the MOSIP, which helps governments conceive, develop, and implement effective foundational ID systems in their countries, grant from India to carry out the digital ID revamp project.
Jordan
IrisGuard UK has deployed its latest service in partnership with the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship (MODEE) Jordan, Jordan Post, VFS Global, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates. It means Jordanian expatriates, initially in the USA and Canada, can access the government digital ID service (SANAD). The user’s iris is matched against the National Iris Database at the Jordan National Information Centre to issue the digital ID.
With the service now live in five cities across the USA and Canada, more than 200,000 Jordanians can now unlock access to government services, without the need to travel home to do so. IrisGuard said its Android iris scanner and integrated software provide a one-to-millions authentication in real-time ensuring that the correct person is physically present during the activation process.
United Kingdom
The UK Government has unveiled a pre-release of the latest version of its Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework.
The version incorporates stakeholder feedback since the previous beta release in June 2022, with five new updates. Two new certification roles, Holder Service Provider and Component Service Provider, have been added for digital wallets and facial authentication services. There have also been updates on inclusion monitoring and data-sharing mechanisms have been introduced. Providers will also face stricter requirements to assist users in case of issues.
Additionally, a section addresses the growing use of biometric systems, ensuring they are tested for fairness and effectiveness across demographic groups. New rules regulate providers’ participation in the forthcoming register of digital identity services, outline data protection requirements during transfers, and provide guidance on promoting certified status to avoid user confusion.
United States
ID.me has closed a $67 million secondary tender investment, bolstered by new investor Ribbit Capital and existing stakeholders Viking Global Investors and CapitalG.
ID.me customers include government agencies, healthcare providers, and commercial entities, with more than 135 million users. The company saw its revenue grow by 370 percent between 2020 and 2023.
South Korea
South Korea will implement mobile resident registration cards in December 2024 as part of modernising its national identification system. The initiative comes through a revised Resident Registration Act taking effect on December 27, 2024.
The new digital identification system will be available to South Korean citizens aged 17 and older who currently possess physical resident registration cards. The mobile format aims to streamline administrative processes by enabling citizens to manage their resident registration information through smartphone applications rather than requiring in-person visits to government offices. This follows South Korea’s broader initiative to build its digital ID infrastructure on blockchain technology.
