United Kingdom
More than 15,000 former members of the UK’s armed forces have successfully applied for a digital version of the veterans ID card since its launch in October, according to the Government Digital Service.
However, uptake remains below one percent of the estimated 1.8 million eligible veterans. While physical Veteran Cards have been automatically issued to service leavers since 2019, the digital version is optional and currently limited in functionality. It cannot be used as photo ID for domestic flights, for Veterans Railcard applications, or for online services, restricting its use largely to in-person verification such as GP registration or museum entry.
The digital veterans ID is stored in the GOV.UK One Login app, which the government plans to rebrand as the GOV.UK Wallet as more credentials are added. In December, testing also began on a digital driving licence within the same app, involving Government Digital Service staff and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.
Malaysia
MyDigital ID is targeting 15 million new registrations this year as part of efforts to accelerate national adoption of the digital identity system.
Registrations have reached approximately 8.7 million users so far, surpassing the halfway mark of the annual target. Officials say the strategy is focused on making MyDigital ID a daily necessity rather than a standalone technology platform, supported by integration with more than 80 government and private sector applications and portals.
The platform now records over 400,000 weekly accesses, reflecting growing public confidence. Promotional efforts are also being expanded through collaborations with e-hailing drivers to increase public awareness of the national digital identity system.
Global
IMARC Group forecasts continued rapid growth in the global digital identity solutions market, projecting expansion from USD 43.76 billion in 2024 to USD 214.2 billion by 2033, with a CAGR of 17.7 percent between 2025 and 2033.
Growth is being driven by escalating cybersecurity threats, regulatory pressure and government digital identity programmes. Regulatory frameworks such as GDPR, CCPA and eIDAS, alongside initiatives like the EU Digital Identity Framework, are accelerating adoption of digital identity wallets, while convergence between biometrics, decentralised identifiers, blockchain and AI-driven fraud detection is reshaping identity verification across finance, healthcare, government and e-commerce.
Global
Ping Identity has launched Universal Services, a centralised trust and control layer designed to operate alongside existing identity providers. The platform integrates identity verification, risk evaluation, zero-knowledge biometrics, orchestration and fine-grained authorisation into a single control plane.
The company says the service enables continuous trust assessment across workforce, customer, partner and AI identities, supporting use cases such as verified onboarding, fraud-resistant access, secure account recovery and adaptive authorisation without requiring large-scale identity migrations.
United Kingdom
Minecraft players in the UK with adult accounts will be required to complete age checks from February to continue using social features such as chat. Microsoft has confirmed that Yoti is providing age verification, with unverified users still able to play the game and access purchases.
Global
OpenAI is also rolling out an age prediction model in ChatGPT to determine whether accounts should receive an under-18 experience. The system uses behavioural and account-level signals, with users able to verify their age through live selfie checks or government ID if misclassified.
United Kingdom
The UK government has also begun private trials of a digital driving licence stored in the Gov.uk digital wallet. Testing started in December, with wider rollout planned later this year. The wallet forms part of the UK’s broader digital identity programme, which has faced scrutiny over security, governance and the development of the national digital identity trust framework.
GDS says digital ID checks rely on programmatic verification of security features, rather than visual inspection of documents, and plans to allow digital verification service providers to test third-party data sharing ahead of full rollout.
UK, Ireland and DACH
Climb Channel Solutions UK has expanded its distribution partnership with Delinea into Europe, with an initial focus on the UK, Ireland and DACH regions.
The agreement extends a long-standing North American partnership and strengthens Delinea’s European presence in identity security. Delinea provides centralised authorisation and identity security for human, machine and AI identities across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.
The expansion follows Delinea’s agreement to acquire StrongDM, combining privileged access management with just-in-time runtime authorisation technology. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2026, subject to regulatory approval.
United States
As the Transportation Security Administration prepares to launch its ConfirmID programme and fully enforce REAL ID, senior officials have confirmed that passenger data is being used to support Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportation operations.
TSA leadership has described this as lawful intra-departmental coordination within the Department of Homeland Security, framing TSA as a verification node rather than a bulk data pipeline. The position has raised concerns about the blurring of boundaries between transport security, biometric identity verification and immigration enforcement.
Ireland
Ireland plans to run age assurance for online content through a government-developed digital wallet app, according to comments from the Communications Minister.
The wallet, aligned with the European Digital Identity Wallet model and built on the existing MyGovID system, will hold digital credentials such as a mobile driving licence. Under the proposed Online Safety Code, downloading the app would be mandatory for age assurance, meaning adults who refuse to install it could lose access to existing social media accounts.
The approach is unprecedented among governments legislating online safety, making state-issued digital identity infrastructure a compulsory gateway for platform access.
Gambia
Margins ID Group has won a contract with the Government of The Gambia to design, build, finance, operate and transfer a National ID System and an Integrated Digital ID System.
The contract covers the full lifecycle of the platforms, from deployment and financing to operational cooperation and eventual transfer. The company was selected following technical and financial evaluations and is described as the first African-owned provider to export a full national and digital identity system beyond its home market.
Mexico
Veridas is supporting Mexican mobile operators in complying with new telecom regulations requiring every mobile line to be linked to a validated official identity.
The guidelines mandate identity verification for SIM activation, cancellation and change of ownership, including proof-of-life for remote processes. Veridas says its platform has processed close to one million identity verifications this year, maintaining full availability during rollout despite sector-wide infrastructure strain.
The reforms form part of broader identity modernisation efforts in Mexico, including phased mandates for biometric CURP and tighter integration between telecom services and national digital identity systems.
