Researchers peer into crystal ball to see future where everyone's ID is tied to their smartphone

New research suggests almost 40 per cent of people will have some sort of unique mobile identifier service by 2024.

Juniper Research estimated that the market would be worth $7bn to mobile operators by 2024 compared to $859m in 2019.

The outfit predicts mobile phones will become primary sources of identity for just short of 40 per cent of people, or more than 3 billion. This will be driven by southeast Asia and Africa, where traditional ID cards are lacking and mobile versions will be easy to scale quickly.

The researchers expect 90 per cent of phones, or 5 billion devices, in 2024 to include some sort of biometric security. But many services will likely need traditional ID documents for initial signup – and many nations already require ID checks for anyone buying a new phone or contract. Because of this, Juniper sees a continuing role for traditional paper ID documents.

The report, Digital Identity: Technology Evolution, Regulatory Analysis & Forecasts 2019-2024, predicts that millions of third-party app makers will make money from linking operator-provided ID information to requests from other apps and services. But operators could still recapture this market.

There's more on Juniper's website here. ®