Identity verification compares a claimed identity with evidence such as an official document, account record, trusted credential, biometric check, or verified third party. A service may perform the check directly or use a specialist identity provider.
Verification can reduce some forms of impersonation and abuse, but it also creates privacy, exclusion, security, and surveillance risks. A proportionate design should collect the least information needed, separate proof from ongoing activity, secure retained data, and provide an appeal path for failed checks.
ELI5
Identity verification is a check that tries to confirm who a person really is. A service may ask for a trusted document or credential before allowing the person to use an account.
For example, a platform might ask a user to prove that a name matches a government-issued document. The platform should avoid keeping an unnecessary copy and should not automatically attach the document to every prompt.
