How Digital Documentation is Revolutionising Identity in 2023
As we discuss in our latest digital identity research, the use of digital identity as a replacement for traditional physical documents is growing fast, both in the public and private sector.
Key Examples
One notable example is the increased adoption of digital driving licenses. These typically comprise a picture of the licence and a QR code. This latter element is particular important as alongside confirming that the holder has the right to drive, this QR code allows law enforcement to scan the licence without the individual needing to hand over their mobile device.
Some digital driving licences also show a restricted version of the licence that only has the individual’s picture, name, and confirmation of whether they are of drinking age; enabling the licence to be shown to law enforcement and other authorities, while, at the same time, protecting as much of the individual’s data as possible.
Within the private sector, digital gym memberships are also growing in popularity, in part because the data is seen as less sensitive, and therefore, less risky to carry around, than digital government documents.
In most cases, these schemes utilise a dedicated app that provides proof of membership via, for instance, a barcode that needs to be scanned when entering the gym. This is not unique to gyms by any means, and many member-based businesses (including hotels) now use digital proof of membership or ownership. It is also common for these apps to convey access to loyalty schemes and other marketing partnerships, making them a powerful tool for membership -based businesses.
Digital Wallets
There is also a significant overlap with digital wallets; primarily used to store digital debit and credit cards, digital wallets are increasingly being used to store identity documents such as event tickets and insurance documents, along proof of ownership including hotel room and car keys.
In theory, any government credentials could be stored in a secure digital wallet, allowing for savings on the creation and re-issuing of physical credentials. This would also make it much simpler to update information on these credentials, as new identity documents would not need to be physically reissued when an individual moved home or got married.
In some US states, for instance, digital driving licences held within Apple Wallets are fully recognised by state officials and local law enforcement. However, it must be noted these digital wallets will struggle to monetise identity in the same way as they have payments, due to competition from government-run schemes limiting adoption.
Security & Privacy Concerns
One recurring issue that government documents have always faced, and will always face, is forgery.
This was highlighted in 2022 in New South Wales, Australia, when it was discovered that a flaw with the system governing digital driving licenses could be easily brute-forced by cybercriminals, making it “trivial” for anyone determined enough to forge new fake identities.
In addition, digital identity documents, such as those issued by governments, require centralised identity systems; where digital identity credentials are held in a single place, and each identity is used for a single purpose, ie. a digital driving license.
The simplicity of centralised identity systems over other forms of digital identity, such as federated identity and decentralised identity, makes them ideal for issuing and managing digital government-backed identity documents. However, their nature means that data breaches can be catastrophic; a situation compounded by the fact that, owing to budget constraints, many governments use older, less secure computer systems.
Consumers are becoming increasingly conscious of data privacy issues, meaning that the future adoption of digital identity documents is entirely dependent on users’ level of trust in the institutions issuing them. In countries where there is high trust in institutions, national digital identities will be more widely adopted. In nations with lower institutional trust, the role of digital identity provider will be assumed, at least, to some degree, by the private sector.
This creates an opportunity for private identity providers. However, much like government institutions, these private firms also need to earn consumers’ trust. At this early stage, it is unclear the extent to which a high-profile data breach would impact adoption of digital identity among consumers, but making significant investments in authentication, encryption, and cybersecurity best practice would go a long way to avoid testing this.
Related Reading
Our complimentary whitepaper, Digital Identity ~ The Next Frontier of Cybersecurity, examines the driving forces behind the increasing merger of digital identity with cybersecurity.
“Juniper Research’s new Digital Identity research report presents an independent analysis of the future evolution of this highly dynamic market. It provides a comprehensive study of the growth of the digital identity market, resulting changes in how national IDs are issued, the way identity is authenticated and regulatory compliance around identity. The report positions 18 vendors via the Juniper Research Competitor Leaderboard; providing an invaluable resource for stakeholders seeking to understand the complex competitive landscape in the market.”
Latest research, whitepapers & press releases
-
ReportSeptember 2025Sustainability & Smart Cities
Smart Grid Market: 2025-2030
Our cutting-edge Smart Grid research suite provides a comprehensive view of a market at the forefront of the global energy transition. It examines the major disruptions transforming the sector, from the integration of distributed energy resources and the rise of virtual power plants to the growing role of AI-driven intelligence and the mounting need for robust cyber security and compliance.
VIEW -
ReportSeptember 2025Fintech & Payments
eCommerce Payments Market: 2025-2030
Juniper Research’s eCommerce Payments research suite provides a comprehensive and insightful analysis of this market; enabling stakeholders, from eCommerce payment platform providers to merchants and payment service providers, to understand future growth, key trends, and the competitive environment.
VIEW -
ReportSeptember 2025Telecoms & Connectivity
A2P & Business Messaging Market: 2025-2030
Our extensive A2P & Business Messaging research suite comprises detailed analysis of a market undergoing rapid evolution. It provides guidance to mobile operators on how to navigate this shift and grow revenue from business messaging in the future.
VIEW -
ReportAugust 2025Fintech & Payments
Fraud Detection & Prevention in Banking Market: 2025-2030
Our Fraud Detection and Prevention in Banking research suite provides a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of the types of fraud, and methods that can be used to overcome them. This enables stakeholders such as banks, financial institutions, and fintechs to understand future growth, key trends and the competitive environment.
VIEW -
ReportAugust 2025Sustainability & Smart Cities
Smart Buildings Market: 2025-2030
Our Smart Buildings research suite provides in-depth analysis and evaluation of how hardware and software service providers are reimagining smart building solutions as living ecosystems, using Internet of Things (IoT) and AI.
VIEW -
ReportAugust 2025Telecoms & Connectivity
Network APIs Market: 2025-2030
Our Network API research suite provides operators, CPaaS providers, and other GSMA channel partners with extensive analysis and actionable insights into the rapidly growing network API market. It contains data that allows stakeholders in the market to make informed decisions on their product development and business strategies in the network API market.
VIEW
-
WhitepaperSeptember 2025
Decentralising the Smart Grid: Opportunities & Challenges
Our complimentary whitepaper, Decentralising the Smart Grid: Opportunities & Challenges, explores how distributed energy resources, renewable integration, and virtual power plants are reshaping grid management.
VIEW -
WhitepaperSeptember 2025Fintech & Payments
Going Glocal ~ Why Local Payment Methods Are Driving eCommerce
Our complimentary whitepaper, Going Glocal ~ Why Local Payment Methods Are Driving eCommerce, assesses how local payment methods are driving the increasing accessibility to eCommerce, and challenges to eCommerce growth.
VIEW -
WhitepaperSeptember 2025Telecoms & Connectivity
Operator Success Strategies in A2P Messaging for 2026
Our complimentary whitepaper, Operator Success Strategies in A2P Messaging for 2026, examines the outlook of the A2P messaging market over the next five years.
VIEW -
WhitepaperAugust 2025Fintech & Payments
Synthetic Identity Fraud: The Lurking Threat to Modern Banking
Our complimentary whitepaper, Synthetic Identity Fraud: The Lurking Threat to Modern Banking, examines the current fraud landscape; explaining the role of key actors in the fraud prevention landscape, and recent developments within the fraud prevention industry.
VIEW -
WhitepaperAugust 2025Sustainability & Smart Cities
Foundations of Smart Buildings: AI, IoT & Energy Efficiency
Our complimentary whitepaper, Foundations of Smart Buildings: AI, IoT & Energy Efficiency, evaluates the main technical components of smart building architecture; being the key objectives and challenges for their acquirement and deployment in the market, as it currently stands.
VIEW -
WhitepaperAugust 2025Telecoms & Connectivity
How Operators Can Unlock the $8 billion Network API Opportunity
Our complimentary whitepaper, How Operators Can Unlock the $8 billion Network API Opportunity, explores how operators can capitalise on the opportunities in the network API market, both now and in the future.
VIEW
-
Sustainability & Smart Cities
Smart Grids to Support 43% of Global Electricity Supply by 2030, Driven by Virtual Power Plants
September 2025 -
Telecoms & Connectivity
Calling All Telecoms & Connectivity Innovators: 2026 Future Digital Awards Now Open for Entries
September 2025 -
Fintech & Payments
eCommerce Market to Surpass $13 Trillion by 2030 Globally, with Stripe, Visa, and PayPal Leading the Charge
September 2025 -
Telecoms & Connectivity
Conversational Use Cases Fuel Global Messaging Boom: Nearly 3 Trillion Business Messages by 2030
September 2025 -
Telecoms & Connectivity
Cellular IoT Connectivity Revenue to Exceed $30 Billion Globally in 2030
August 2025 -
Sustainability & Smart Cities
eScooter Spend to Surpass $7 Billion Globally by 2030, as Rider Freedom Spurs Growth
August 2025