8 Key Insights from Identity Week Europe 2024

Written by

Alexandra Ilinska , Head of Sales and Account Management at MobiDev

Tetiana Ryzha , Account Management Team Leader at MobiDev

Identity Week Europe 2024, held on June 11-12, 2024 in Amsterdam, showcased a diverse range of discussions centered on identity verification.

1. Main Focus

Despite the common theme, the focus was notably split between innovation and traditional physical ID cards. Some participants actively promoted cutting-edge technologies, while others highlighted the high-quality materials and anti-counterfeiting systems used in their ID cards.

2. Innovation and Digital Wallets

A recurring topic across most innovation-related discussions was digital wallets. These are seen as the next step in the development and promotion of the identity verification sector. The Digital Identity Regulation, which came into effect in May 2024, is a significant milestone in this context. It facilitates the digital transformation of the public sector, enabling more services to be accessed digitally, including cross-border services. For businesses, the regulation simplifies offering online services across Europe by providing secure authentication. As technology advances, digital wallets are gaining traction as a convenient and secure method for managing digital identities.

3. Emphasis on Trust, Security, and Resilience

While "trust" and "security" were the most frequently mentioned terms, there was a significant emphasis on "resilience." Resilience refers to the robustness of systems in resisting attacks and counterfeiting. This focus highlights the industry's recognition of the need to build systems that can withstand increasingly sophisticated threats.

4. Balancing Convenience and Security

There were concerns about the drive towards making identity verification as convenient as possible for users. Striking the right balance between ease of use and robust security measures remains a key challenge.

5. Trending Sectors

Banking/finance and travel/immigration emerged as the most prominent sectors in the identity verification space. Although there were mentions of commerce, it did not receive as much attention. This indicates a strong focus on sectors where identity verification is critical for security and compliance.

6. Government Influence and Standards

Governments play a significant role in shaping the identity verification landscape, with many guidelines and restrictions coming from national leadership. This governmental influence is driving the establishment of standards in the field. For instance, the introduction of the first certification for face verification (The FIDO Alliance) marks a significant step towards standardized identity verification practices.

7. Face Biometrics: Service vs. Software

An intriguing perspective presented at the event was the idea that face biometrics should be viewed as a service rather than software. Unlike static software, a service can evolve, learn, and adapt, making it more effective in the long run. This approach underscores the dynamic nature of biometric technologies in identity verification. At MobiDev, with our extensive experience in biometrics solutions development, we adhere to this approach. Since 2019, MobiDev has been advancing our own office security system based on biometric data, and implementing biometric authentication in client applications.?

8. Artificial Intelligence: Friend or Foe?

One of the most significant insights was the dual role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the identity verification domain. Although AI has the potential to enhance security and improve identity verification processes, it is also seen as a threat. Many solutions focused on combating the misuse of AI for identity fraud, such as deepfakes and other malicious outputs of generative AI. The roundtable titled "Deepfakes: fighting AI with AI" by Thibault Demasi, R&D Engineer, CLR Labs, captured this duality perfectly, highlighting the industry's proactive stance in addressing AI-related threats.

However, the potential benefits of AI far outweigh the risks, offering immense opportunities for innovation and improvement in the identification industry.

To sum it up

Identity Week Europe 2024 provided a comprehensive overview of the current trends, challenges, and innovations in identity verification. As the sector continues to evolve, the balance between convenience and security, the influence of governments, and the dual role of AI will remain pivotal in shaping the future of identity verification.

Looking to leverage AI opportunities in the identification industry? MobiDev’s expert consultants can help. You can find more information about AI Consulting services here .?