Beside is required by U.S. telecom regulations to verify the identity of its users. This process - known as Know Your Customer (KYC) - is a legal obligation for telecom providers to confirm that their customers are who they say they are.
KYC helps prevent fraud and misuse of phone numbers, keeping the platform secure and trusted for everyone. It's a necessary step to protect your account and ensure Beside remains compliant and reliable.
What is KYC?
KYC stands for Know Your Customer. It's a standard used in telecom and finance to verify user identities. It's designed to:
Stop scammers and bad actors from abusing telecom tools
Comply with FCC regulations
Keep the platform safe for legitimate users
ℹ️ Legal obligation: This is not just a Beside policy - it's required under telecom regulations set by the FCC, to help fight spam, fraud, and robocalls.
When Beside asks you to verify
KYC verification is automatically triggered for all users. When you're required to verify, you'll receive a prompt directly in the app.
📌 Note:
In most cases, verification is required only once after registering. Subsequent requests are rare and may be triggered by unusual account activity or system-detected flags.
What the KYC process involves
You'll complete the identity verification directly through Persona - a trusted verification platform used by companies around the world, including LinkedIn. Your personal information is never shared with the Beside team.
The process takes just a few minutes and requires:
A valid government-issued photo ID
A selfie
Documents must be valid and issued by government authorities in one of the supported countries: United States, Canada, France, Portugal, or Netherlands.
✅ Accepted IDs:
| 🚫 Not accepted:
|
How your data is protected
Your personal data is fully encrypted and securely stored, in line with all applicable privacy and security laws.
Who controls your data?
Who controls your data?
Beside acts as the data controller. Persona acts strictly as a data processor on our behalf.
This means:
Persona does not use your data for its own purposes
Persona processes data only according to Beside's instructions
You can review Persona's privacy policy here.
How long is my data kept?
How long is my data kept?
According to Persona's privacy policy:
Facial geometry / biometric data is permanently destroyed upon completion of verification, or within 3 years of your last interaction at the latest
Other verification data (such as ID documents and selfie images) may be retained for audit and telecom compliance purposes, unless Beside instructs Persona to delete it earlier
Beside determines the retention period in accordance with regulatory requirements.
How is my data secured?
How is my data secured?
Persona uses:
AES-256 encryption for data at rest
TLS 1.2+ encryption for data in transit
SOC 2 Type II certified infrastructure (independently audited)
GDPR and CCPA compliant systems
Beside is also SOC 2 Type II certified. Learn more: 📖 Is Beside SOC 2 compliant?
Can the government access my data?
Can the government access my data?
Your data may only be disclosed:
If required by law
In response to a valid court order or legal warrant
Neither Beside nor Persona shares or sells identity verification data to third parties.
What are my privacy rights?
What are my privacy rights?
You may request:
Access to your data
Correction of inaccurate information
Deletion of your data (where legally permissible)
Contact [email protected]. We will respond in accordance with applicable privacy laws.
What happens if you don't verify
If you don't complete the verification process within the required timeframe, your Beside account will be temporarily restricted:
You'll be blocked from making calls or sending texts
You'll still be able to receive calls and messages
Your account will be fully restored once verification is successfully completed.
FAQ
Is KYC verification required for everyone?
Is KYC verification required for everyone?
Yes - KYC is automatically triggered for all Beside users. It's a legal requirement under U.S. telecom regulations, not something Beside can waive.
Why is Beside asking for my ID?
Why is Beside asking for my ID?
The FCC requires telecom providers to verify the identity of their users to combat spam, fraud, and robocalls. Beside uses a secure third-party partner called Persona to complete this process - your ID is never shared with the Beside team.
Is it safe to submit my ID through the app?
Is it safe to submit my ID through the app?
Yes. Verification is handled by Persona, a trusted identity platform used by companies like LinkedIn. All data is encrypted and stored in SOC 2 Type II certified infrastructure. Your information is never shared with Beside's team or third parties.
What if my ID is from a country not on the supported list?
What if my ID is from a country not on the supported list?
Currently, Beside supports IDs issued by the United States, Canada, France, Portugal, and the Netherlands. If your ID is from another country, you won't be able to complete verification at this time.
How long does verification take?
How long does verification take?
The process typically takes just a few minutes. You'll need a valid government-issued photo ID and your phone camera for a selfie.
Will I need to verify my identity more than once?
Will I need to verify my identity more than once?
In most cases, verification is required only once after registering. Repeat requests are rare and only occur under specific circumstances, such as unusual account activity.