New Zealand
New Zealand is accelerating its digital identity transformation as part of a wider NZ$13 billion government technology programme led by the new Government Digital Delivery Agency.
Built around the Digital Identity Services Trust Framework, the strategy shifts away from centralised identity management towards self-sovereign identity, selective disclosure and citizen-controlled digital wallets. It also incorporates Māori data sovereignty principles and aims to support interoperability with Australia’s digital identity ecosystem.
Global
Daon has secured its third US patent focused on governing AI agents operating in regulated industries.
The new technology introduces what the company describes as a “digital permission slip”, allowing organisations to determine whether an autonomous AI agent is authorised to perform a specific action against protected systems or APIs. The patent forms part of Daon’s wider trust architecture covering person-agent verification, agent integrity and fine-grained authorisation for AI-driven workflows.
Europe
The European Commission has approved a new European Citizens’ Initiative calling for digital identity and age verification systems to remain voluntary, privacy-preserving and non-discriminatory.
The registration allows campaigners behind the “Stop Killing The Internet: No Digital ID & No Age Verification” initiative to begin collecting one million signatures across the EU. If successful, the Commission will be required to formally consider the proposal, although it is not obliged to legislate. The campaign arrives as member states continue rolling out the European Digital Identity Wallet and privacy-preserving age assurance technologies.
Pakistan
Pakistan is accelerating plans for a national digital identity ecosystem after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif instructed officials to integrate identity verification across banking, healthcare, public benefits and other government services.
The proposed framework will introduce reusable digital identities alongside unique identifiers for businesses and property, allowing verified credentials to be reused across multiple services while reducing repeated document checks. The programme builds on Pakistan’s existing Pak ID platform and Digital Nation framework, with implementation being coordinated through the National Digital Commission as part of the country’s wider digital transformation strategy.
United States
OneSpan has launched DigipassONE, a unified authentication platform designed to help organisations modernise authentication while supporting multiple identity technologies simultaneously.
The platform combines passkeys, digital credentials, transaction signing, analytics and traditional authentication methods within a single architecture, allowing financial institutions and other regulated organisations to migrate towards passwordless authentication without replacing existing infrastructure.
Namibia
Namibia will begin issuing electronic identity cards from September 2026 as part of its wider e-government programme.
The smart cards will contain biometric and biographical data alongside a digital identity component that enables secure online authentication, digital signatures and electronic transactions. Existing identity cards will remain valid during the transition while new applicants receive the electronic version.
United Kingdom
The Office for Digital Identities and Attributes (OfDIA) has commissioned a six-week cyber security analysis of the UK’s Digital Verification Services ecosystem as certification against the Digital Identity Trust Framework approaches.
The review will map how identity and attribute data flows between providers, relying parties and third-party biometric and document verification services. Officials say the work will inform future versions of the trust framework and strengthen guidance as adoption accelerates across the UK digital identity market.
France
Toppan Security has successfully demonstrated interoperability between its digital identity wallet technology and France Identité as Europe continues preparing for large-scale deployment of the European Digital Identity Wallet.
The company completed compatibility testing covering credential issuance, online verification and in-person identity verification using open standards including OpenID4VCI/VP and W3C Verifiable Credentials. The achievement means Toppan’s wallet technology is now recognised as “Ready for France Identité” and supports France’s wider eIDAS 2.0 interoperability programme.
Global
Okta’s Global CISO Insights 2026 report argues that successful deployment of agentic AI depends on treating AI agents as a new class of non-human identity.
According to the research, 58 percent of security leaders identify AI governance and identity and access management as their biggest concern when deploying AI agents, while 78 percent cite controlling non-human identity permissions as a key challenge. However, only 10 percent say they have a strategy in place to govern those identities, prompting Okta to call for a unified identity security fabric covering both humans and AI agents.
Greece
Greece is progressing a contract worth up to €515.4 million to deliver the infrastructure behind its next generation of identity documents and digital authentication services.
The programme covers production systems for national identity cards, passports, residence permits and police identification, alongside the technology needed to support secure electronic identity verification across public services. The procurement forms a key part of Greece’s wider digital government strategy.
Nigeria
Nigeria is strengthening the role of its National Identification Number (NIN) within defence and national security following a new cooperation agreement between the Ministry of Defence and the National Identity Management Commission.
The initiative will explore how trusted identity data can support defence planning, intelligence sharing, border management and internal security, building on the recently enacted NIMC Act 2026, which reinforces the NIN as the country’s core digital identity credential. Officials have not announced any changes to public enrolment or existing mobile identity services.
United Kingdom
Digital identity provider Yoti has partnered with Licensing Connect to help pubs, bars and retailers prepare for the legal acceptance of certified digital IDs for alcohol sales later this year.
The integration enables staff to verify customers’ age by scanning a QR code from a certified digital ID app, confirming only whether the customer meets the required age threshold without revealing unnecessary personal information. The move follows planned changes to the UK’s Mandatory Licensing Conditions, which will recognise digital IDs certified under the Digital Verification Services Trust Framework.
Jordan
Jordan has approved draft legislation that will give digital identities the same legal status as physical identity cards.
The proposed amendments to the Civil Status Law establish digital identity as an officially recognised means of identification for both government and private sector transactions, creating the legal basis for secure electronic services while protecting the integrity and confidentiality of personal data.
Nepal
Nepal has made its national identity card mandatory for anyone using the country’s digital payment system, strengthening electronic Know Your Customer requirements across financial services.
Under new central bank rules, digital wallet providers must verify customers against the national identity database before opening or updating accounts, with users required to link their national ID by October. Officials say the move will help combat fraud while strengthening compliance with international anti-money laundering standards.
South Sudan
South Sudan is planning to digitise and link its civil registration and national identity systems as part of efforts to improve legal identity coverage and modernise public services.
The proposed reforms would enable births to be registered directly from health facilities while integrating civil registration with the country’s national ID programme. Officials say the changes will strengthen birth registration, currently estimated at around 10 percent, and support wider digital transformation efforts in line with international legal identity standards.
Togo
Togo has secured an additional $20 million in World Bank funding to expand its participation in the West Africa Unique Identification for Regional Integration and Inclusion (WURI) programme.
The investment will support increased digital ID enrolment and strengthen cross-border identity infrastructure designed to improve access to services while supporting regional integration across West Africa. The programme forms part of Togo’s Vision 2040 strategy, with more than six million national IDs already issued across the country.
