Yoti, derived from Your Own Trusted Identity, aims to establish an identity system that protects users from both identity theft and having their data collected and exploited. All personal data remains within the Yoti ecosystem, where different are encrypted and stored separately.
In order to create a digital identity, Yoti requires a smartphone, and there are apps for both Apple iOS and Android. This involves providing biometric identifiers such as video and speech, plus an image of a government-backed identification document. Yoti discards these after the ID has been created.
If a company wants to verify a user, it presents them with a QR code that they can read with the Yoti app. They can verify their Yoti ID by entering a 5-digit pin and, if necessary, by broadcasting themselves and by speaking random words displayed on the smartphone screen.
At present, Yoti is working with a couple of dozen early adopters. People who use the Free-ads website to buy and sell things can also use Yoti to confirm their IDs and get a Trusted Member badge. That approach would work on eBay, Gumtree or Craigslist, and also on online dating sites.
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