The dependence on human inspection and verification of identification has contributed to the growing fraud problem worldwide. Machine-readable technology provides an additional and vital layer of security to identification credentials and, with properly architected approaches (e.g., binding individuals), preserves privacy (no “phone home”) while delivering a frictionless and intuitive experience for the user (credential holder). All of this can be accomplished at no cost for in-person use cases.

The UR Code Protocol – They may look familiar, but these QR codes contain digitally signed, biometric data and enable privacy-preserving identity verification. UR (play on words – “YOU ARE”) Codes provide relying parties with unequivocal evidence of code holders’ legal identity. Because they store unique, signed face data and can include personal information and identity data, UR Codes enable secure, low-cost, two-party identity verification at unlimited scale. Exemplifying the perfect “poster child” of a phygital technology. Instead of a human looking at your document and deciding if it is trustworthy, UR Codes have a digital signature that verifies that the identity data was issued, as encoded, by the listed Issuing Authority, and the individual using it is bound (matches) to it.Current uses of/plans for the protocol include: (i) Motor Vehicle Authorities (MVAs) using UR Codes for interim driver licenses. To date, the interim license has not been suitable for identification purposes. Still, with an increasing number of issuing authorities moving to a central issuance model, customers have to wait for their final identification credential [driver’s license] to be mailed to them. With UR Codes, interim licenses can now provide identification evidence; (ii) MVAs seeking to add UR Codes to their physical and digital (mDL) driver licenses; (iii) Law Enforcement agencies adding UR Codes to their officers’ identification as well as H.R. 218 cards (retired law enforcement in the U.S. can carry armed nationwide with these); (iv) Customer service centres implementing UR Codes as a way of “beefing up” remote verification of customers versus the traditional knowledge/possession-based factors.

Historically, making/storing biometric details in a smaller fashion meant it became less accurate. A significant innovation of UR Codes is condensing the biometric information without sacrificing matching accuracy. Additionally, the protocol leverages a globally established standard (QR) and capitalizes on enormous existing infrastructure (mobile phones) for reading and authenticating them