Philippines
The Philippines’ National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) has issued a public advisory reminding government agencies and private organisations to accept the digital National Senior Citizens ID (NSCID) as valid proof of identity for transactions and benefits access.
Available through the eGovPH app, the digital credential can be used for discounts, healthcare access, banking transactions and government services. Officials said more than 1.3 million senior citizens had already accessed the digital ID as of April 2026. The initiative is designed to reduce reliance on physical documentation while improving service accessibility for older citizens.
Global
Gartner predicts that 40 percent of government organisations will establish dedicated “TrustOps” functions by 2028 to counter deepfake identity impersonation and disinformation threats.
The analyst firm warned that governments need to move from reactive fact-checking toward proactive “trust architecture” capable of defending against synthetic media attacks targeting biometric authentication systems, public communications and internal workflows.
Zambia
Zambia has reaffirmed its commitment to digital identity as a foundation for public sector transformation following participation at the ID4Africa conference in Côte d’Ivoire.
Delegates from the SMART Zambia Institute, Bank of Zambia and other agencies discussed how digital identity systems could improve financial inclusion, public service delivery, agricultural modernisation and data protection. Officials said the country remains focused on building an inclusive and scalable identity ecosystem.
South Korea
South Korea has eased online authentication requirements for overseas military conscripts by allowing them to use digital certificates issued by major banks and fintech providers instead of government-issued credentials tied to domestic mobile phone numbers.
The change is intended to remove barriers faced by Korean citizens abroad who struggled to access military administration systems after deactivating Korean SIM cards. Authentication is now possible through banking apps from institutions including Kookmin Bank, Shinhan Bank and Toss.
Armenia
Armenia’s parliament has approved new biometric identity legislation designed to align the country’s identity systems with EU standards and support its visa liberalisation ambitions.
The reforms require citizens over the age of 16 to carry identification cards and introduce ICAO-compliant biometric travel documents developed through a public-private partnership. Officials described the legislation as another step toward closer EU integration and broader digitalisation of public services.
Global
International Air Transport Association and Trip.com are piloting digital identity technology that could allow travellers to autofill booking information using credentials stored in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet.
The initiative, involving airlines including Air Canada, Turkish Airlines and Qatar Airways, signals a shift in digital identity adoption from airport checkpoints into the booking process itself.
Africa
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the World Bank used the ID4Africa conference to push for more inclusive national digital ID systems for refugees and stateless people.
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Officials and civil society groups discussed how countries including Kenya, Uganda and Chad could integrate displaced populations into foundational ID systems while preserving safeguards around privacy and legal rights.
United States
1Kosmos has secured Epic Toolbox designation for identity verification within MyChart, the patient portal used by healthcare providers running Epic’s electronic health record platform.
The integration enables remote patient identity verification using government-issued document authentication, biometric matching and liveness detection aligned with NIST IAL2 standards. The company said healthcare organisations face growing threats from account takeover and impersonation attacks as patient portals become a primary digital access channel.
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan is expanding biometric passenger boarding systems and introducing AI-driven cargo processing as part of a wider aviation modernisation programme.
The country’s Q-Gate biometric processing system currently operates at 16 airport terminals and is set to expand further in 2026. Officials said biometric verification had reduced passenger processing times from three minutes to around 50 seconds.
The government is also preparing legislation for aerotaxis and drones, while AI tools are being used to automate cargo documentation and reduce freight processing times from 24 hours to one hour.
Switzerland
Switzerland has adopted new biometric screening measures at its borders as part of its implementation of the EU Migration and Asylum Pact.
From June, travellers entering Switzerland will undergo harmonised identity and biometric checks aligned with Schengen-wide procedures, including fingerprint collection and security screening.
Estonia
Estonia has launched a €21.65 million procurement process to develop a compliant European Digital Identity Wallet for national deployment.
The system is intended to align with the EU’s eIDAS 2.0 framework and support decentralised, user-controlled identity models that allow citizens to selectively share verified attributes across borders.
South Africa
South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs has tabled a 13.8 billion rand budget to support expansion of Smart IDs, digital visas and a future national digital identity platform.
The investment forms part of the country’s “Home Affairs @ Home” transformation programme and wider MyMzansi digital public infrastructure roadmap aimed at improving digital access to government services.
Kenya
Kenya has launched a pilot digital birth notification system linking hospitals directly to civil registration and national identity infrastructure.
The initiative is designed to automatically issue a Unique Personal Identifier at birth that can later connect to the country’s Maisha Namba national identity system, supporting a lifecycle-based approach to digital identity management.
