# What happens when someone asks you to prove who you are.

You upload an ID. You take a photo of your face. You type in your address. You might be moving
quickly and not sure why you had to provide that information.

This series explains why different businesses, websites, or apps ask for that information, the broad
question each check helps answer, what it can establish, and what a result may mean for you.

## A note on this series

Identity verification is one of those quiet, modern rituals that appears in a bank, an airline, a
marketplace, or a government service. Each may ask for a different combination of details, then run
a few clear checks in the time it takes for that one short pause.

That single pause is really a few small checks happening quickly. Each one looks at a different kind
of evidence and answers a specific question, like whether a photo resembles an ID photo, or whether
an address matches what is on file. None of them tells the whole story alone, and that is by design:
each check only needs to do its own small part well.

This series describes how identity checks generally work, across companies and industries, not just
how Persona builds them. A handful of us at Persona have spent years building systems like these,
which is exactly why we wanted to write something clear about what they can and can't establish, and
why a business might ask you for this information in the first place.

## The checks, explained.

These are a few of the most common things a business, website, or app might ask you to verify. The
series walks through each one, so you can understand why that information gets requested and what it
actually helps confirm.

### 01. Sanctions & watchlists

Also known as screening. A name check against public sanctions and watchlist sources, each with a
different meaning, usually run when you open a bank account, sign up for a payment app, or join a
marketplace. A name match is not a verdict.

12 min read.

[Read the explainer](https://explained.withpersona.com/understanding-identity-verification/sanctions)

### 02. Government identification

You’ll usually see this when opening an account, renting a car, or proving your age. A
government-issued document carries evidence from another institution. Learn what that evidence can
establish, and why a valid ID may still need another step.

11 min read.

[Read the explainer](https://explained.withpersona.com/understanding-identity-verification/government-id)

### 03. Selfie & face

You’ll usually see this when a flow asks for a live photo or short video, with an ID check or to
confirm it’s still you. A fresh image can help connect the person at the camera with the identity
they’re claiming. See what that can establish, and where it stops.

10 min read.

[Read the explainer](https://explained.withpersona.com/understanding-identity-verification/selfie)

### 04. Proof of address

You’ll usually see this when opening a bank account or applying for a government service. A bill or
statement can connect a name with a place. See why that matters, and what to do when the listed
records don’t fit your life.

10 min read.

[Read the explainer](https://explained.withpersona.com/understanding-identity-verification/proof-of-address)

## A note on this project

Persona publishes Identity Explained and builds some of the systems it describes, so we're upfront
about that. Each explainer is written for the person on the receiving end of a request: enough
context to understand why it's happening, what the evidence in front of you can and can't prove, and
which company actually owns the decision that follows.

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_Part of Identity Explained (by Persona).
https://explained.withpersona.com/understanding-identity-verification_