Welcome to ID Tech’s digest of identity industry news. Here’s what you need to know about the world of digital identity and biometrics today:
Vietnam Tightens ID Rules for Banking, Pushing Customers Toward Chip IDs and eID
Vietnam will end the use of passports for domestic banking from January 1, 2026, requiring chip-based ID cards, legacy IDs or VNeID Level 2 credentials instead. The shift supports a national effort to standardize identity data, with banks already validating customer records against biometrics tied to chip IDs and the VNeID platform. New rules are also extending biometric requirements to digital channels and e-wallets, with banks required to match live facial captures to government-held biometric data before enabling online transactions. Together, the changes strengthen the state-backed identity signal for financial services while requiring customers and providers to adapt to chip ID, VNeID and biometric verification flows.
UP and Maharashtra Stop Accepting Aadhaar as Proof of Birth, Tighten Identity Verification Rules
Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra have issued orders blocking the use of Aadhaar as proof of birth or as a standalone proof of date of birth, aligning with UIDAI guidance that Aadhaar is an identity credential rather than a verified civil record. Maharashtra is going further by cancelling certificates issued solely on the basis of Aadhaar and directing officials to follow a 16-point verification process to detect forged documents. Residents will now need municipal or hospital birth certificates, school records or other accepted documents for any process requiring proof of age. The moves reinforce a boundary between digital identity and civil registration and require service providers to update onboarding workflows that improperly relied on Aadhaar alone.
Alaska Plots AI-Driven Digital ID Wallet and Biometric Upgrade for myAlaska App
Alaska’s Office of Information Technology is exploring a major upgrade to the myAlaska platform, turning the state’s existing single sign-on system into an AI-assisted digital services hub with smart-wallet features and biometric authentication. A new RFI outlines a plan for “agentic AI” modules that can complete transactions, provide proactive alerts and coordinate workflows across state systems. A second phase would introduce support for digital credentials such as mobile driver’s licenses, professional certifications and tokenized payments built on standards like W3C Verifiable Credentials and ISO 18013-5. The state emphasizes compliance, auditability and integration with Azure B2C and multi-factor authentication, signaling a move toward a comprehensive digital ID wallet for residents.
UK Digital ID Scheme Gets First Public Cost Estimate
The UK’s national digital ID program now carries an estimated cost of £1.8 billion over three years, according to the Office for Budget Responsibility’s latest forecast. The scheme is grouped with “unfunded” policy measures, raising questions about long-term budget certainty and delivery timelines. Government messaging frames the digital ID as part of a modernization effort to reduce fraud and create a reusable credential for public and private services, but implementation details—and alignment with GOV.UK One Login—remain unclear. The announcement arrives amid strong public opposition to mandatory digital ID for workers and ongoing scrutiny of One Login’s security posture.
EU Parliament Backs EU-Wide Age Checks to Keep Under-16s Off Social Media
The European Parliament has adopted a resolution calling for a minimum age of 16 for social media, video-sharing platforms and AI “companions,” with access for 13- to 16-year-olds requiring parental consent. The text highlights the mental health risks associated with youth online behavior and positions the EU age-verification app and the EUDI Wallet as central to privacy-preserving age assurance. MEPs also urge restrictions on engagement-based recommender systems, loot boxes and targeted ads to minors, and call for stronger Digital Services Act enforcement. Although nonbinding, the resolution signals growing momentum toward regulated, identity-based age checks across the EU.
Intercede Secures At Least $4.2M in New Digital Identity Contracts
Intercede has announced over $4.2 million in new licence sales and renewals for its MyID Credential Management System, with customers spanning US federal agencies and multiple Asian government clients. The wins include a $1.5 million licence order from the US federal government, new deployments in Asia with long-term support agreements, and significant renewals from the US Department of State and an Asian government agency. Additional professional services contracts include support for a major US Army deployment in the Middle East. The update reflects continued demand for credential management platforms that unify PKI, passkeys and other authenticators across government and defence environments.
Spanish Airport Operator Aena Hit With €10M Fine Over Biometric Boarding
Spain’s data protection authority has fined airport operator Aena just over €10 million for deploying facial recognition systems across eight airports without completing a valid GDPR-compliant data protection impact assessment. The AEPD ruled that Aena failed to justify the necessity and proportionality of its one-to-many facial recognition architecture and ordered the suspension of all related biometric processing until compliance is achieved. Aena argues passengers enrolled voluntarily and no breaches occurred, but regulators emphasize structural failings rather than consent issues. The case reflects increasing EU scrutiny of biometric pilots in travel settings and parallels restrictions imposed earlier this year in Italy.
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team