British opinions on the current methods of proving identity

Today, documents that were created to allow travel or that show the right to drive are being used to prove identity. We are repeatedly asked to share personal and sensitive information in exchange for goods or services, yet we have to go through a lengthy and cumbersome process to prove who we are. Our latest research revealed that people still have to show their passport, driving licence and / or a utility bill in order to access a new service. In a digitally native society it’s illogical to show paper documents and reveal so much personal information to simply prove our identity.

To explore this further, an online survey carried out by YouGov on behalf of Yoti looked at people’s attitudes towards the current ways of proving their identity. The survey was answered by 2,029 adults and was conducted between 8th-9th September 2016.

Survey Results

Relying on paper documents for identity verification slows down otherwise rapid on-demand services, increases chances of abandonment during onboarding and account registrations, and encourages retention of an unnecessary amount of customer information. Just under 20% of people refuse to send a copy of their ID document to a company, with security and lack of trust being the main reasons for this:

“Don’t know who will see it or where it goes when finished with.”

“Not trustworthy, should never be asked to send such a document.”

Those that do send a copy of their ID documents are also concerned — 38% of people who have sent either their passport or driving licence to a company as proof of identity were then worried about how that information will be stored. This was most concerning for those aged 35–44 years, with just under half (47%) saying they felt worried about this. Given the high number of data breaches and exposed information over recent years, they can’t be blamed for feeling this way. But is there a solution? And would people like an alternative way of proving their identity?

To read the full report and survey results, download British opinions on identity and personal information.