Amba Karsondas Profile Picture

Amba Karsondas

Amba is responsible for all things Social Purpose at Yoti, ensuring that Yoti effectively balances profit with purpose and continually upholds its ethical and moral commitments.

An image of a woman looking directly at the camera. A guide over her face indicates that the image is a deepfake.

The rising challenge of detecting deepfakes

Artificial intelligence (AI) has come a long way in just a few years. What started as a tool for automating routine tasks and processing data more efficiently has now become integrated into nearly every industry. It seems as though it’s everywhere we look right now. One of the most controversial, and perhaps concerning, developments in AI is the rise of deepfakes. In simple terms, deepfakes are incredibly realistic synthetic media, such audio, video or images, generated by AI. These digital forgeries have become so convincing that telling real from fake is becoming a serious challenge. We look into how

8 min read
An image showing just person's hands. One hand is holding a card holder and the other is pulling a driving licence from it.

The hidden risks of carrying your physical ID

We’re swapping paper receipts for email confirmations, trading physical tickets for digital ones and many of us don’t even think twice about tapping our phones to pay. But there’s one thing most of us still carry around and use the old-school way: our ID. Whether it’s your driving licence or a national ID card, chances are it’s tucked into your wallet, pocket (or even wedged into the back of your phone case). If you don’t have those, you might even need to take your passport around. It feels normal, and even necessary. But is it really the smartest way

9 min read
An image showing a preview of three pages of the "identity verification: the facts" report

Identity verification: the facts

It’s becoming increasingly essential to check that users are who they say they are. The rise in cyber attacks, data breaches and online financial crime has pushed companies across multiple industries to adopt more reliable and advanced verification methods. As a result, identity verification has become a crucial part of securing online transactions and interactions. It helps reduce identity theft, protect sensitive data and allows businesses to comply with regulations.  We believe people and businesses should make up their own minds about whether they’d like to use our identity verification technology – based on the facts. [vc_btn title=”Read the facts”

2 min read
An image of a man and a women, sitting in an office setting and looking at a laptop.

UK Government to formally recognise digital identities in new MLR guidance

In a major policy development, the UK Government has announced new guidance that will formally recognise certified digital identities as valid tools for complying with the UK’s Money Laundering Regulations (MLRs). HM Treasury and the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) made the announcement last month as part of a wider consultation response on Money Laundering Regulations. The public consultation had nearly 200 industry responses, from sectors including finance, tech, regulators and civil society. It aims to resolve longstanding uncertainty over how regulated firms can use digital identity services to meet anti‑money laundering (AML) and customer due diligence

6 min read
An image of someone holding their mobile phone. On the screen, the platform is asking for the user to verify their age to access age-restricted content.

Why am I being asked to prove my age online?

If you’ve recently been asked to prove your age while trying to access a website, use an app or watch a video online, you’re not alone. The UK’s Online Safety Act is now in force. From 25th July 2025, businesses are required, by law, to take stronger steps to protect children from harmful or inappropriate content online.  One of the biggest changes is the introduction of age checks for online users. We break down exactly why you’re being asked to prove your age, how it works, what it means for your privacy and how we’re helping make age checks

8 min read
An collection of images displaying the different ways that you can prove your age. The images shown represent facial age estimation, Digital IDs, age checks with an ID, credit card checks and checks using a third-party provider.

How can I prove my age online?

You may have noticed that you’re being asked to prove your age more often online. This may be when you’re signing up for new streaming services, buying something online, making a new social media account or trying to access adult content. The UK’s Online Safety Act comes into effect on 25th July. It states that ticking a box saying “I’m over 18” is no longer good enough to keep children safe online. As a result, platforms must bring in stronger age checks for their users. It’s the responsibility of each platform to decide which age checking methods to accept.

10 min read