On 25 June 2026, the Digital Regulation Co-operation Forum (DRCF) published a call for input in relation to its Thematic Innovation Hub.

Background

The DRCF sets out that, building on the DRCF AI & Digital Hub pilot, which demonstrated the value of informal, cross regulator collaboration, the DRCF launched the Thematic Innovation Hub, and recently concluded its first series on Agentic AI. The Hub enables regulators to better understand emerging risks and opportunities and to engage earlier with innovators developing complex new technologies. The DRCF explains that in this call for input it is focusing the Hub’s new series on the theme of Authentication and Trust, exploring how regulators can help innovators achieve public trust in new technologies and systems.    

Summary

The DRCF is inviting views on developments, opportunities and challenges associated with two sub-themes that each have a bearing on authentication and trust: digital verification and synthetic media/ deepfakes, in particular:

  • Digital verification: The DRCF highlights that it is interested in evidence from private sector and industry stakeholders on practical use cases for digital verification, including where these services may support or intersect with open finance and wider smart data frameworks. This could include, for example, customer onboarding and KYC, fraud prevention, consent-based data sharing, and cross-sector services that combine verified identity attributes with customer or transactional data.  In particular, it has asked for responses to include practical examples or case studies that show the opportunities, risks or frictions linked to digital verification as relevant.
  • Synthetic media and deepfakes: The DRCF explain that it is using Ofcom’s definition of synthetic media: “an umbrella term for video, image, text or voice that has been generated in whole or partly by AI algorithms”3 and Ofcom’s definition for deepfakes: “forms of audio-visual content that have been generated or manipulated using AI, which misrepresent someone or something”. In particular, the DRCF explain that it is keen to hear from interested parties in regulated sectors, and beyond, on  views on synthetic media and deepfakes, especially about the steps organisations have taken to drive innovation, as well as the steps they have taken to minimise the risks to (i) themselves, (ii) their IP, (iii) their employees, and (iv) citizens and consumers.

Finally, the DRCF ask respondents whether further topics under the ‘Authentication and Trust’ theme they would find helpful to engage regulators on, via the Thematic Innovation Hub.

Next steps

The DRCF have asked for feedback by14th August 2026. The DCRF set out that responses will be analysed by the DRCF project team and may inform future thematic work, including webinars, roundtables, and other outputs.