What does it actually mean to prove who we are online in 2025, and why does it still feel so vulnerable?
In this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I talk to Alex Laurie from Ping Identity about why digital identity has reached a real moment of excitement in Britain.
As more of our lives move online, from banking and healthcare to social platforms and government services, the gap between how identity should work and how it actually works is widening.
Alex shares why Britain now feels out of step with other regions when it comes to online identity schemes, and how the heavy reliance on centralized models is slowing adoption and weakening public trust.
We spend time unraveling the practical consequences of today’s verification systems. Age checks are regularly bypassed, fraud continues to increase, and users are often asked to hand over far more personal data than seems reasonable just to access everyday services.
At the same time, public pressure around online safety is rapidly increasing. That creates an uncomfortable tension between stricter controls and the expectation of quick, low-friction access.
Alex argues that this tension exists because the underlying approach is flawed, and that proving something as simple as age should never require revealing a full digital identity.
From there, the conversation turns to decentralized identity and why it is gaining momentum worldwide. Rather than placing sensitive data in large centralized databases, decentralized models allow individuals to store and present verified credentials on their own terms.
To me, this reframes digital identity as a right rather than a characteristic, and opens the door to systems that feel more privacy-conscious, inclusive and resilient. We’re also exploring how agentic AI could play a role here, helping people intelligently manage, present and protect their credentials without adding complexity or new risks.
Using new consumer research from Ping Identity as the basis for the discussion, this episode takes a close look at where trust, privacy and identity are going, and why the choices made now will shape how we prove who we are online in the years to come. Are we finally ready to rethink digital identity, and if so, what does that mean for all of us?
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