What does it actually mean to prove who we are online in 2025, and why does it still feel so fragile?

In this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I sit down with Alex Laurie from Ping Identity to talk about why digital identity has reached a real moment of tension in the UK.

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 keeps widening.

Alex shares why the UK now feels out of step with other regions when it comes to online identity schemes, and how heavy reliance on centralized models is slowing adoption while weakening public trust.

We spend time unpacking the practical consequences of today's verification systems. Age checks are regularly bypassed, fraud continues to grow, and users are often asked to hand over far more personal data than feels reasonable just to access everyday services.

At the same time, public pressure around online safety is rising fast. That creates an uncomfortable push and pull between tighter controls and the expectation of fast, low-friction access.

Alex makes the case that this tension exists because the underlying approach is flawed, and that proving something simple, like age, should never require revealing an entire digital identity.

From there, the conversation turns to decentralized identity and why it is gaining momentum globally. Instead of placing sensitive data into large centralized databases, decentralized models allow individuals to hold and present verified credentials on their own terms.

For me, this reframes digital identity as a right rather than a feature, and opens the door to systems that feel more privacy-aware, inclusive, and resilient. We also explore how agentic AI could play a role here, helping people manage, present, and protect their credentials intelligently without adding complexity or new risks.

With fresh consumer research from Ping Identity informing the discussion, this episode looks closely at where trust, privacy, and identity are heading next, and why the choices made now will shape how we prove who we are online for years to come. Are we finally ready to rethink digital identity, and if so, what does that mean for all of us?