The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is making a renewed effort to expand biometric surveillance at national borders, reviving a rule initially proposed under the first Trump administration. The rule mandates the collection of facial images and other biometric identifiers from nearly all non-US citizens entering or exiting the country, including minors.

The US Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate (DHS S&T) has launched the ID document authenticity track of the Remote Identity Validation Rally (RIVR), following its 2023–2024 evaluation of remote identity verification systems at the Maryland Test Facility. The earlier Remote Identity Validation Technology Demonstration (RIVTD) trials revealed significant variability in document authentication performance, particularly when validating state-issued IDs captured via smartphones or webcams under uncontrolled conditions.

The US Inland Revenue Service (IRS) has not been independently evaluating the digital identity proofing services provided by ID.me, its exclusive vendor for access to sensitive taxpayer services. A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that the IRS is relying solely on ID.me’s internal performance assessments, with no external verification or established performance benchmarks.

The future of ID cards, passports and driving licences is mobile. But the path to full digitisation still involves overcoming many challenges. At the heart of these challenges is the need to build trust with citizens.

It won’t come as a surprise to readers of ID & Secure Document News™ that the global digital identity market is entering a phase of accelerated growth, with spending projected to increase from $15.2 billion in 2024 to over $26 billion by 2029, according to Juniper Research.

A recent online article from Maryia Valchanina, Head of Data Processing at Regula, sheds light on one of the lesser-discussed challenges in the field of document authentication—the verification of professional identity documents. Unlike conventional passports or national ID cards, which benefit from widespread standardisation and well-established verification protocols, these specialised documents often exist in a fragmented regulatory landscape.

The European Commission has opened a public consultation on 12 new Implementing Acts that will define the technical and legal framework for the European Digital Identity (EUDI) Wallet, as established under Regulation (EU) 2024/1183. Running from 15 April to 13 May 2025, the consultation focuses on trust services, interoperability, and security standards essential for the deployment of the EUDI Wallet across Member States.

The European Union (EU) is making significant progress in its digital identity initiatives, reinforcing its commitment to standardising digital identification systems across member states. These efforts aim to enhance security within the region, with various countries implementing advanced digital ID solutions.

If you started reading this in anticipation of a definitive answer on how digital and physical ID documents can co-exist, I should apologise. It’s actually a personal look at how I might go about reasserting my identity in the event of a major crisis. But like many thought-experiments, you can learn a lot when you stress-test your ideas in extreme circumstances.

The ongoing digitisation of personal identification demands reliable solutions for secure identification. Mobile IDs have proven to provide a simple verification method via mobile devices. Despite its growing popularity, many use cases for this technology remain largely unexplored. In this article, Veridos’ CEO, Marc-Julian Siewert reveals the full potential of mobile IDs.