Biometrics firm predicts major identity shifts for 2026

Biometric and cybersecurity firm Daon has forecast five key trends that will reshape digital identity in 2026, focusing on the convergence of regulatory mandates, AI, and sophisticated fraud, reports Security Brief United Kingdom.

The firm anticipates a significant rollout of government-backed digital identity wallets, especially under the EU's eIDAS 2.0 framework, alongside deeper commercial wallet integration from tech giants like Apple and Google. To combat rising deepfake and injection attacks, Daon predicts that defense will become a shared organizational KPI, with procurement demanding validated anti-fraud performance.

A major shift will be the formal recognition of autonomous AI agents as identity actors, necessitating "Know-Your-Agent" frameworks for their registration, authentication, and audit. Technologically, the trend will move toward on-device biometrics, leveraging zero-knowledge proofs and federated learning to enhance privacy and security by processing data locally.

Finally, workforce identity verification will evolve from a one-time event to a continuous assurance model, linking biometrics and device context to mitigate insider and account takeover risks in hybrid work environments.