Business FAQs
Common Questions
We believe passionately in protecting your privacy, and we’re on a mission to make the management of identity safer, and simpler, for everyone.
When you digitize your information into your Folio wallet, it is encrypted and stored in a digital vault on, and ONLY on, your phone, making it safe from server hacks, data breaches and misuse by third parties.
You are always, in control of the data in your wallet. Your explicit consent is required before sharing anything with any person, organization or government department.
Well, the possibilities are almost endless, but let’s start somewhere:
• Securely store verified digital copies of your identity documents so they are always with you
• Digitize your bank cards, loyalty cards and membership cards into your wallet
• Save hours of administration by safely retrieving your data anywhere
• Then pack light, leave your cards at home
• Receive digital identity documents and cards, issued by an expanding list of organizations, directly to your Folio wallet
• Exchange data safely with the highest security standards when you explicitly consent to any such request
• Share the minimum viable data, like your age rather than a photo of an identity document containing your date of birth and address if it is not needed
• Maintain a detailed audit record of all identity sharing activities and requests
• Any loyalty, membership or gift card with a scannable image, like a barcode or QR code will work just like the plastic card
This would not be possible with Folio.
When you set up your Folio wallet you go through a series of simple, rigorous steps to ensure that you are, in fact, you. You take a selfie, pass a liveness check, and then Folio uses the most advanced facial recognition software, biometrics and AI to ensure that the user in that instant is absolutely, unquestionably the owner of the identity documents.
No worries, do not panic! Firstly, your wallet can only be accessed by you, using your own unique PIN number, touch ID (when enabled) or selfie. If somebody tries to guess your PIN, the only way the account can be unlocked is a biometric selfie match.
The data in your Folio wallet is encrypted with the highest level of security, so even if it sophisticated hacker nicks your handset, your wallet will be completely useless to the bad guy.
When you find your phone or a get a replacement, you have two options:
• If you have backed up your previous Folio wallet then you will be able to restore from the backup in seconds (after validating your identity of course). All Folio back-ups use the same comprehensive encryption, so a cloud hack is as useless as a phone hack! This process will also automatically delete your previous wallet.
• If you’ve not backed up, simply follow the installation process and when you verify your ID, you will be advised of a duplicate identity – a new account will be set up for you and your previous account will be permanently deleted.
It is critical to Folio’s mission that we are unable to attribute any user-level, private data. Your data is your data, we have no ambition, nor motivation, to compromise your privacy or your control.
Like many other apps, we collect anonymous, aggregated data about app usage to help us prioritise improvements to Folio. This data is solely used by our internal analytics, shared with no 3rd party ever and is entirely unattributable to you.
For more information please see our privacy policy.
FAQs
We believe passionately in protecting your privacy, and we’re on a mission to make the management of identity safer, and simpler, for everyone.
When you digitize your information into your Folio wallet, it is encrypted and stored in a digital vault on, and ONLY on, your phone, making it safe from server hacks, data breaches and misuse by third parties.
You are always, in control of the data in your wallet. Your explicit consent is required before sharing anything with any person, organization or government department.
When you set up your Folio wallet you go through a number of steps to ensure that you are, in fact, you. For example, you take a selfie and a liveness video before scanning your identity document. We then match the photo with your identity document picture using facial recognition software with the liveness video proving that you were present at the time of setting up your Folio wallet.
Privacy and security are at the heart of what we do. It’s for this reason that your identity data is encrypted and only stored on your device – that way you know it’s safe from any data breaches or server hacks and you are in full control of who it is shared with.
All transactions of identity data are completed using asymetric encryption with an RSA algorithm with 2028-bits key.
Whenever a mobile number is added to an account a text is sent to that phone number with a verification code. The code must then be entered in the Folio wallet. This ensures that no-one can add a phone number to their account without the consent of the phone’s owner.
Whenever an email address is added to an account a verification email is sent to that email address. The user must click on a link in that email in order to confirm their address and set it live in the Folio wallet. Therefore, any attempts to use your email address in a different account to your own would not be possible without your permission.
This would not be possible with Folio. Folio uses facial recognition software, biometrics and a liveness video to ensure that the phone user is also the owner of the identity document.
We believe that Folio actually makes your identity more secure for the following reasons:
- You only have to share the information that is relevant to the situation. Rather than showing someone your passport and therefore giving them access to all that data, Folio allows you to simply provide them the information they NEED.
- Folio sends your information as data fields rather than providing someone with a copy of your personal identity documents.
- You are in control of your data and can choose whether to respond to an ID verification request.
- Your identity data is encrypted and ONLY stored on your phone. It’s not held on a server, susceptible to a data breach or hack.
We do not store any of your identity data on a server – your details are ONLY stored on your phone. Therefore, your data is safe from any security breaches or hacks.
Don’t panic: your wallet can only be accessed by using your unique PIN number or touch ID (when enabled). The data in your Folio wallet is also encrypted and a lock screen on your phone will also provide a further layer of security.
If you get a new phone and want to install your Folio wallet then you have two options:
- If you have backed up your previous Folio wallet then you will be able to restore from the backup.
- If you’ve not backed up your previous Folio wallet then simply follow the installation process and verify your id. Once verified you will be alerted that you have a duplicate account. Choose Continue and a new account will be set up for you.
Like many other apps, we collect anonymous data about how the app is used. This data is used to help develop improvements to Folio. We are unable to attribute any of the data we collect with individuals and this data is solely used for internal analytics. For more information please see our privacy policy.
Yes – your passport or driving license information is encrypted and stored securely on and ONLY on your phone. We believe this is much safer than storing this data on a remote server that you have no control over.
No – even if we had access to it our philosophy is that you should be in control of your identity data. It is your information, and only you should choose who it is shared with.
When you scan in an identity document the image is uploaded to our servers where the data fields are extracted and then sent back in encrypted format to be stored on your phone. The image and all other data are then deleted within 72 hours. Your selfie photo and first name are then stored at our data center.
Once your identity has been verified you are in control and only you can choose who you share your information with.
If you provide us with an email address or phone number these will also be stored in our data center. This is necessary for Folio to be able to facilitate the sending and receiving of identity requests.
The only information Folio stores about you is your first name, your selfie and your email/phone number. The rest of your data is held securely in encrypted format on your phone.
The only stored data that Folio sees is your first name, your selfie picture and your email/phone number if you add these. There is also a check made when identity data is shared to ensure that the data sent matches the information pulled from the individual’s identity document.
Folio is unable to access or see any of your personal details that sit inside your Folio wallet as all information is encrypted. Therefore, we are unable to provide any information to the authorities unless it’s in relation to an identity transaction where a receipt is available. With the receipt we would be able to verify to the authority the information in the receipt but nothing else.
Only you will be able to access your Folio wallet. You will be required to choose a PIN number for your Folio wallet and set up touch ID if available on your device. In order to access your wallet you will need to enter your PIN or use touch ID.
It is your decision whether you share your details with a 3rd party via Folio. Once you have shared your details it is up to the other party how they want to manage and store your data. Therefore we recommend that you check the other party’s privacy policy before you share data with them.
The internet makes it very easy to create and hide behind false identities. Imagine you are buying or selling something through a classified website (such as Craigslist or Gumtree), or maybe you’ve just met someone through a dating website, or you might be about to rent a property through a service like Airbnb.
Wouldn’t it give you a much greater sense of security if you knew that the person you are dealing with were who they purport to be? Using the Folio app you can request that the person you are transacting with confirms their identity, ensuring they are who they say they are and making your online transactions a lot safer.
There are countless times during your day to day life that you need to prove who you are. Traditionally this is done by showing a physical document such as a driving licence or passport.
However, many of these interactions are now based online such as opening bank accounts, applying for a job or joining an organisation, and so, in order to verify who you are, you have to either visit a physical location , or email/post a copy of your documents. This takes time and carries risk.
The internet has also changed how we do many things such as shopping, travel and meeting people. What was traditionally done in person is now often completed online, sometimes directly between two individuals cutting out the business altogether. This brings convenience and cost benefits but at the cost of security.
Folio creates a digital identity from your official identity document which can then be used to prove who you are online, securely and remotely. Folio eliminates the risk of dealing with physical documents whilst putting you in control of your identity – you choose who you are willing to share information with – whether it’s a business, government or an individual you’re buying a laptop from.
Yes. We believe that it is safer to only store your data on your phone, rather than on a remote server. All your data is encrypted and ONLY stored on your phone, with the exception of your selfie and first name. Your email and phone number are also stored in our data center in order for Folio to be able to facilitate the sending and receiving of identity verification requests.
Folio supports any official national identity document such as driving license, passport, national identity card or digital identity document. Where available, governments and organisations can also use Folio to issue you with a digital identity document which will be stored within your Folio wallet.
If you are having difficulties adding your identity document to your Folio wallet then please contact our customer services team at support@folioltd.com
Your Folio wallet is available without an internet connection, allowing you to access and use all your stored cards and documents when needed. Folio does requires an internet connection to share identity details. You should be able to use Folio easily with a WiFi or a 3G and above connection.
No – you can only have one Folio account. This is to combat fraud and impersonation.
The Folio app is absolutely free to download and use with no limitations.
There are a wealth of features that Folio offers to consumers, businesses, organisations and governments and this list is growing all the time as Folio evolves as a product. Right now, you can do the following.
- Securely store a verified digital copy of your identity document data
- Receive and securely store digital identity documents issued by governments and organisations.
- Easily share your verified details such as your name, age or photo with other Folio users and businesses remotely, or reject such requests – the power stays with you.
- Securely store all your bank, membership, store and loyalty cards in an easily accessible digital wallet.
- Scan and securely store custom documents to the Folio digital wallet.
- Request identity verification from anyone with a email address or phone number, making your online interactions with strangers safer.
- View receipts for all identity requests received and sent.
No – Folio is only available for download on a smartphone.