United Kingdom
The Government Digital Service (GDS) has set out plans to invest more than £7 million in an “observability tool” to deliver round-the-clock monitoring of the expanding One Login service, reports Public Technology.
A newly published commercial pipeline notice confirms a tender will be issued early next year, with the software required to provide full-stack, end-to-end visibility across the platform as usage scales to tens of millions of users.
GDS said the tool will support serverless compatibility, open standards, UK-based secure hosting, and continuous monitoring of service-level indicators and objectives. It will form an “essential part of our observability strategy”, enabling higher volumes while maintaining “a smooth and responsive experience”.
United Kingdom
GDS has reported 260,000 app downloads since the GOV.UK app entered public beta, with more than 80 percent of users customising their homepage – typically adding their local authority or priority topics.
A GDS blog post said usage trends show returning users increasingly using shortcut features such as Previous Searches (22 percent) and Pages You Viewed (16 percent). Top repeat topics include Universal Credit, driving test bookings, and apprenticeship applications.
Nudges and seasonal triggers – such as student-related services in September – have also delivered significant spikes in engagement.
In 2026, GDS plans to expand personalisation beyond web content to focus on areas such as driving, benefits, local services and travel, work with more departments to deliver fully native experiences within the app, extend access to GDS platforms for local authorities, and build on its recent pilot of AI-powered GOV.UK Chat so users can ask questions in their own words and receive instant answers.
United Kingdom
The UK’s statutory framework for digital verification services has now gone live, formalising the standards certified providers must meet under the Data (Use and Access) Act.
The regime underpins the government’s forthcoming national digital ID scheme, due for consultation early next year, and provides a trust mark for certified products.
To date, 48 DVS providers have applied to join the statutory register overseen by the Office for Digital Identities and Attributes (OfDIA). CEO John Peart said the framework ensures the public can “trust digital verification services offered under it in the UK”.
United States
From February 1 2026, US travellers who arrive at airport security without acceptable ID must either provide a REAL ID-compliant credential or pay a $45 fee to verify their identity through the new TSA Confirm.ID system.
The updated scheme replaces earlier proposals for an $18 tech-assisted verification service and formalises identity checks as a paid, last-resort process – expected to increase delays.
Payment covers a 10-day travel window for single or multiple flight segments.
Norway / United States
Signicat and US-based Markaaz have formed a strategic partnership to bring continuously-verified global business identity data into Signicat’s Digital Identity and Orchestration Platform.
The integration supports automated KYB, global onboarding, and dynamic risk monitoring with access to detailed entity information including UBO and firmographics – enhancing compliance workflows for financial institutions.
United Kingdom
MPs have challenged DSIT’s minister for digital government, Ian Murray, over the lack of cost estimates for the state-issued digital ID due to be required for employment checks by 2029.
During a tense select committee session, members repeatedly asked how the scheme would be funded. Murray confirmed that delivery costs would come from existing budgets across departments but stated “we do not have numbers” yet for build, onboarding and operational costs.
Conservative MP Kit Malthouse suggested the prime minister had announced “a policy with an unknown cost envelope”, while committee chair Chi Onwurah warned major upfront funding would be needed long before savings materialise, as per Public Technology.
Global
FARx has released FARx 2.0, its latest fused-biometric technology combining speaker, speech and face recognition to detect synthetic and cloned voices – a growing fraud vector.
Trained on 55,000 synthetic samples, the platform distinguishes real vs AI-generated voices, supports background continuous authentication, and can be embedded across apps, browsers, call centres and video platforms.
OpenAI’s Sam Altman recently stated voice biometrics have been “fully defeated” by AI – underscoring the need for new defence systems as fraud targeting UK businesses has risen to 35 percent, up from 23 percent in 2024.
United Kingdom
Ofcom has issued a £1 million fine – the biggest yet under the Online Safety Act – to Belize-based AVS Group, which runs 18 adult sites, after judging its age verification controls insufficient.
An additional £50,000 penalty was imposed for failing to supply information requested by the regulator. The firm now has 72 hours to deploy stronger age checks or face £1,000 per day in additional fines, plus a further £300 per day until it complies with information requests.
Since July, Ofcom has investigated 92 services, prioritising high-traffic sites.
United Kingdom
The UK government has confirmed plans to expand biometrics use across policing in England and Wales, encouraging forces to deploy both live and retrospective facial recognition across CCTV, body-worn video and mobile footage to help identify suspects.
Germany
Germany’s Gematik has approved Nect Ident with ePass for HealthID creation, offering a biometric alternative to in-person identity card and PIN-based processes.
The approach combines automated video identification with chip-based document verification and voice prompts, meeting eIDAS assurance and anti-tamper requirements.
Canada / Morocco
Canada’s immigration department has launched a pilot issuing digital visitor visas to a limited set of applicants in Morocco, eliminating the need to mail passports for physical stickers.
The credential functions similarly to an eTA, allowing automated verification at airline check-in and border kiosks, with the trial focused on reducing processing time and courier costs.
