2025 Predictions - A Defining Year For Digital Identity
- Andrew Bud, Founder and CEO at iProov
- 09.12.2024 10:15 am #DigitalIdentity2025 #IdentityInnovation
1. 2025: The Year Deepfakes Breaks the News? - Andrew Bud, Founder and CEO of iProov
Deepfakes will pose a significant threat to the integrity of news and media. A major broadcaster will admit that a recent interview featured a deepfake, which will spark widespread concern about the impact of AI-generated media on journalism and information integrity. Such will be the shockwaves that we will see calls for new content attribution technologies and stronger media literacy initiatives. The incident will serve as a stark reminder of the challenges faced in the age of deepfakes and the need to safeguard information integrity.
2. Biometric Borders Go Global: Say Goodbye to Lines, Hello to Secure, Seamless Travel
The use of facial verification at border crossings will spread rapidly, speeding up passenger processing and enhancing security. Programs like Eurostar’s SmartCheck biometric system are already paving the way, allowing travelers to verify their identity with a simple glance or scan. Automated systems will optimize passenger flow, reduce congestion, and slash wait times while dramatically reducing the load on border officials. Privacy will be prioritized, with travelers opting in and data protected by decentralized identity technologies. This shift will usher in a new era of seamless and secure travel, making it easier for people to connect and explore the world with confidence.
3. The Deepfake CEO: Identity Verification Becomes Mission-Critical for Market Trust
A deepfake of a Fortune 500 CEO will cause significant disruption in the financial markets. The fabricated video, announcing a false merger, will trigger a temporary market dip and erode investor confidence before being exposed. This incident will highlight the growing need for robust identity verification solutions to ensure the authenticity of information and maintain trust in an increasingly digital world.
Companies and investors will respond by prioritizing biometric authentication, investing in deepfake digital injection protection tools, enhancing communication protocols, and putting a strong focus on digital identity verification in all online interactions to prevent impersonation and fraud.
This incident will serve as a catalyst, accelerating the adoption of advanced identity verification solutions in the financial industry.
4. The Great Deepfake Hiring Heist: Organizations Fall Prey to a Mass Synthetic Identity Attack
Remember earlier this year when KnowBe4 fell victim to a remote deepfake hiring scam using a synthetic identity? In 2025, a far larger synthetic identity operation will infiltrate organizations worldwide. A state adversary will combine deepfakes with fabricated credentials to create entirely new, convincing employee personas, bypassing security to gain access, steal data, and cause operational chaos with significant financial losses. This sophisticated scheme will exploit remote onboarding processes, manipulate employees, and even infiltrate payroll systems to divert funds and disrupt livelihoods. This incident will cause organizations to change how they approach identity verification and cybersecurity in the age of increasingly sophisticated synthetic identities.
5. The EU Identity Wallet: Unanswered Questions and Looming Challenges
As the EU Identity Wallet progresses to its planned roll-out in 2026, expect heated debates around its business model and liability framework. Who will shoulder the development, maintenance, and service provision costs – governments, private companies, or users themselves? Imagine a scenario where a compromised process leads to fraud on a mass scale – who will be held responsible and how will victims be compensated? These questions are critical and must be addressed. Will wallet providers find ways to charge citizens, potentially excluding groups in the population? Will businesses face hefty fees for usage, stifling innovation? And if system failures disrupt essential services, who will bear the cost? The EU must strike a delicate balance: fostering a competitive market for wallet providers while ensuring accessibility, security, and a robust legal framework to address these complex issues. The answers will determine not only the wallet's success but its impact on the digital economy and society as a whole.
