Sumsub is a leading full-cycle verification platform. We provide a range of services, including user and business verification, transaction monitoring, fraud prevention, and biometric verification, among others. Sumsub’s mission is to create a safe and inclusive digital future by eliminating fraud and verification hurdles.
Despite rapid technological advancements, digital exclusion remains a pressing global issue. Sumsub has been actively addressing this challenge by researching the digital divide, its economic and social risks, and implementing solutions to promote digital inclusivity.
The scale of digital exclusion: Sumsub’s research
Sumsub’s research reveals that at least 627 million people worldwide—more than the combined populations of the United States and Brazil—are digitally excluded. These individuals, referred to as the Greenflag nation, face barriers preventing them from accessing essential digital services like financial platforms, education, healthcare, and employment. The reasons for digital exclusion can be government-inflicted—like identification documents issues—or more personal, like physical appearance changes. Also, businesses frequently generalize entire nations as high-risk, leading to unfair exclusions based on nationality rather than individual assessment.
Beyond ethical concerns, digital exclusion presents a significant economic loss. The spending power of excluded individuals is estimated at $1.7 trillion, with potential digital transactions for Greenflag citizens reaching $2.46 trillion by 2028.
Exclusion not only exacerbates inequality but also hinders global economic growth and increases vulnerability to fraud.
How businesses can combat digital exclusion today: Sumsub’s experience
If businesses and governments don’t explore ways to tackle digital exclusion today, it will continue to widen.
Sumsub actively equips businesses with practical solutions to enhance digital inclusivity while maintaining security and compliance:
1. Non-Doc Identity Verification
This method enables businesses to verify user data without requiring physical documents. It is AML-compliant across various jurisdictions, including emerging markets with lower-quality documents like India, Nigeria, South Africa, Indonesia, and Brazil. Non-Doc Verification excludes paper documents from the process, reducing unjustified rejections. With this approach, companies can securely verify over 5.5 billion people worldwide.
2. Reusable KYC
Reusable KYC allows users to verify their identity once and access multiple services without redundant verification. This enhances efficiency, supports compliance, and protects user data privacy.
3. Tailored verification flows
Tools like Workflow Builder help businesses customize onboarding processes and choose the right flow for different markets, minimizing unnecessary exclusions.
4. AI-powered tools
AI-powered Liveness & Deepfake Detection and optical character recognition (OCR) can recognize a broader range of identities, ensuring inclusivity for people with medical conditions or non-standard documents.
5. Ongoing monitoring
Real-time monitoring tools can enhance security by flagging only legitimate risks, preventing unnecessary exclusions.
6. Promoting awareness and sustainable development
As a final step, raising awareness about digital exclusion is just as vital as technological innovation, and businesses and governments alike should continue to spread the word.
Sumsub’s mission is more than just a statement—we are actively reshaping verification standards to create a more inclusive digital space. The adoption of Non-Doc Identity Verification surged +338% year-over-year, allowing thousands to re-enter the digital economy. This move caught the attention of major fintech players, leading to deeper integrations of Sumsub’s technology. As a result, conversion rates improved significantly—rising by 51% in Africa, 19% in North America, and 18% in Europe. Additionally, document rejections from underrepresented regions, including Burmese, Sinhala, and Lao-speaking communities, dropped by 45%, expanding accessibility and shaping a more inclusive global digital ecosystem.
At Sumsub, we believe that access to digital services is a right, not a privilege. By developing flexible, secure solutions and advocating for inclusive policies, we aim to bridge the global digital divide and create a more just, equitable digital future.
