Building Digital Trust: Kaarel Kotkas on the Future of Identity Verification | Ep 1142

In this episode of The Digital Executive , host Brian Thomas sits down with Kaarel Kotkas , founder and CEO of Veriff , a global leader in digital identity verification trusted by brands like Uber and Bumble . Kaarel shares how a childhood experience on a small island in Estonia sparked his lifelong mission to make the internet safer. What began as a teenager’s curiosity about online IDs evolved into Veriff , a company now protecting millions of users worldwide through AI-driven, video-based verification and behavioral data analysis . He explains why digital identity verification can be even more secure than face-to-face checks , using thousands of data points for objective, accurate decision-making. Kaarel also discusses how Veriff balances automation and human creativity to outsmart emerging threats like deepfakes and synthetic identities , keeping humans “in the loop” where it matters most. Looking ahead, Kaarel envisions a borderless identity ecosystem —a “ pattern of trust ” built from our digital interactions rather than government-issued documents. His goal: a world where everyone, everywhere, has equal access to secure online services based on trust, not geography. Whether you’re passionate about AI, cybersecurity, or the digital economy , this episode offers a visionary look at how technology can redefine who we are online—and how we prove it. If you liked what you heard today, please leave us a review - Apple or Spotify . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .