Is Identity Document Verification Technology a Positive Move?

Although Identity Document Verification Technology (IDVT) has been used in some industries for a number of years, the government recently announced that this would be extended. As such, from the 6th April 2022, both landlords and employers will be able to take advantage of IDVT when it comes to carrying out pre-employment, right to rent and rent to work checks on people that live within the UK.

The Home Office and Disclosure and Barring Service are currently working behind the scenes with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to ensure that a framework is in place for people that want to make use of this technology. As part of this new Identity Document Verification Technology roll-out, there is also a pilot underway which takes place until August of this year to see whether this technology could also be used when it comes to the conveyance needs within a home purchase or sale.

Industries Where Identity Document Verification Technology Is Already Used

Although IDVT is a new addition for employers and landlords to make use of, it isn’t a new feature and many industries already make successful use of it. The finance industry has definitely embraced this technology, largely because it allows for quick verification of accounts which is something that people who want to carry out financial transactions are often keen to see. For example, if you wish to sign up to an app in order to buy digital currency you’ll often need to complete a verification process that involves filling in an online form with all of your details, uploading a copy of your photo ID and sending in a live selfie. The clever technology in the background is able to link all of this together and allow for an account to be verified within a few minutes. In the past, these documents would have needed to be checked by a team of people and you may expect to wait a few days for your account to be verified, which is going to be off-putting if you’re in a position to want to buy a type of Cryptocurrency almost immediately.

The increase in popularity when it comes to casinos has helped Identity Document Verification Technology become more of a norm too. New online casinos found at TopRatedCasinos already require users to provide proof of identity upon signing up and as such it makes sense that online casinos make use of this technology too. In fact, anyone that has signed up to an online casino in the last 12 months will have almost certainly gone through this process, which would have been a very different sign-up process when compared to joining an online casino 3 or more years ago.

Could Identity Document Verification Technology Be Introduced to Social Media Accounts?

Social media has become a big part of many of our lives over recent years; with many people considering the checking of their social media newsfeed an essential part of their day. In fact, social media platforms have grown so large that people now make a living from them, using them to successfully promote their business and much more. When you consider that so much can be done via any number of social media accounts, it could be considered surprising that joining one is easy – and often you don’t even need to use your own name.

Over recent years we have seen a number of headlines surrounding internet trolls, trouble being created online and even the growth of online bullying, often carried out by anonymous accounts and therefore will have no real chance of any consequences for those doing the wrongdoing. As such, there are some people that believe that IDVT has a place in social media and that everyone who wants to create an account should be made to prove their identity before doing so. Of course, that doesn’t mean that these details need to be public but many people hold strong opinions that social media platforms should be more accountable for what happens on their service and that having people show ID before they can join could be a good way to help this progress.

What Do Social Media Users Think?

Of course, as with any strong opinions like this, there are plenty of people who feel the complete opposite. One of the main reasons is that not everyone has easy access to being able to obtain a photo ID, for example, if you are someone that doesn’t drive or travel abroad then you may not have a suitable photo ID and therefore if Identity Document Verification Technology was brought into social media platforms you would be excluded from joining. Social media platforms are largely free to use and this makes them reasonably accessible to all, some feel that putting the need for expensive ID in the way of being able to join one of these platforms means that you’re making them less accessible.

You also have the point of view that you might not want to share all of your details with a social media platform, particularly if you feel that they are problematic with whom they allow to make use of their services. Instagram for example have a reasonably negative reputation for giving poor visibility to marginalised people and as such, you may not want to highlight exactly who you are before you join for fear of it affecting how visible your content will be when you do go on to post online.

There is no denying that IDVT is a good thing for many transactions. Buying/selling a house can be a long drawn-out process for example and it is often document and ID checking that can hold up things. Embracing this technology to help the whole process run much more smoothly is something that most people will be keen to see, but whether we’ll see the same keenness for it to be introduced into hobby spaces such as social media remains to be seen.