TruePass, a Sri Lankan-developed digital identity and authentication platform created specifically for the publishing industry, has officially launched with the formation of the TruePass Media Alliance, bringing together several of the country’s leading digital publishers.

The platform was officially unveiled in Colombo on September 17, introducing a shared digital identity layer designed to help publishers establish stronger, direct and trusted relationships with their audiences. The initiative aims to enable publishers to move beyond anonymous website traffic and develop first-party audience relationships while creating new opportunities for digital engagement and revenue generation.

The TruePass Media Alliance includes prominent publishers such as Wijaya Newspapers Limited, HiruNews, Newsfirst, Ada Derana and Liberty Media, Virakesari – Express Newspapers Ltd, Papare.lk, Gossip Lanka and TodayNews. The alliance represents publishers across Sri Lanka’s Sinhala, Tamil and English-language news, sports and entertainment sectors.

According to TruePass, the initiative marks the first time publishers across these segments have been connected through a common identity platform. Rather than developing separate identity systems individually, participating publishers can now operate through a shared authentication infrastructure.

Building Direct Relationships with Digital Audiences

Developed in Sri Lanka, TruePass allows readers to create a verified profile and access participating publisher platforms through a common authentication experience. The platform is built around the concept of “authenticate once, access everywhere,” providing greater convenience for users while helping publishers establish authenticated audience relationships.

Beyond simplifying the login process, the platform is designed to help publishers gradually transform anonymous website visitors into recognised and consenting audiences. This can create opportunities for more personalised content, stronger engagement and new digital revenue models.

For readers, the platform is intended to provide more seamless access across participating publications, while maintaining a consent-led approach to personal data. Verified users could benefit from personalised content, continuity across devices and publications, early or exclusive access, interactive features, community participation and member-only content.

Industry Leaders Highlight the Importance of Digital Identity

The launch brought together representatives from the Ministry of Mass Media, GovTech, the Data Protection Authority, ICTA and FITIS, alongside telecommunications companies, journalists, advertising agencies, advertisers and publishers.

The participation of stakeholders from across the digital ecosystem highlighted the increasing importance of digital identity, privacy, first-party data and trusted audience relationships to the future sustainability of the media industry.

Jayomi Lokuliyana, CEO of TruePass and AdStudio.cloud, said the platform represents more than a new login system, describing it as infrastructure designed to help publishers establish direct and trusted relationships with their audiences.

She noted that publishers have traditionally invested in producing content that attracts audiences, while much of the identity and commercial value associated with those audiences has been controlled by external technology platforms. TruePass seeks to give publishers greater ownership of their audience relationships and provide a foundation for developing new forms of digital value.

Sri Lankan Technology for a Connected Publishing Ecosystem

The technology and architecture behind TruePass were presented by Subodha Perera, Director of AdStudio and a technology entrepreneur. He outlined how the platform’s identity and authentication infrastructure is designed to support a connected ecosystem of publishers.

The platform currently supports mobile and email verification, providing the foundation for publishers to develop more advanced authenticated digital experiences over time.

International media and digital industry expert Daniel Hess, who has more than 35 years of experience across markets including Switzerland, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, Singapore and Sri Lanka, also shared his perspective during the launch.

Hess highlighted the strategic importance of publishers developing direct relationships with their users and building consent-based first-party data capabilities. He also pointed to the potential for stronger digital sovereignty by enabling publishers to retain greater control over their audience relationships and the value generated from their content.

New Opportunities for Audience-Based Advertising

One of the key opportunities presented by TruePass is the potential shift from advertising based primarily on anonymous impressions towards campaigns targeting authenticated and consented audiences.

With recognised users participating across multiple publishers, advertisers and agencies could potentially develop campaigns around defined audience segments across the TruePass Media Alliance rather than purchasing advertising separately on individual websites.

For advertisers, this approach could support more relevant audience targeting and reduce advertising wastage, while providing access to premium and brand-safe Sri Lankan digital media environments.

For publishers, authenticated audiences can provide greater commercial value than anonymous traffic. Audience-based campaigns could create opportunities for publishers to generate additional revenue from the audiences they have developed, while participation in a shared network can provide greater scale, including for smaller publishers.

Supporting New Digital Revenue Models

The identity infrastructure is also intended to support a wider range of digital business models, including memberships, subscriptions, paywalls and personalised user experiences.

By strengthening direct relationships with readers, publishers can potentially diversify their revenue streams and reduce their dependence on traffic and advertising models influenced by major global technology platforms.

TruePass also aims to contribute to a broader shift in how the value of journalism and digital content is measured. Greater understanding of reader engagement and loyalty could allow publishers to place greater emphasis on the quality and relevance of content rather than relying solely on click volumes.

Potential Expansion Beyond the Media Industry

Although TruePass has initially been introduced for the publishing sector, its underlying identity architecture could potentially be extended to other industries and data ecosystems.

Potential future applications could include telecommunications, retail, financial services and loyalty programmes. Any expansion, however, would be based on the same principles of user consent, transparency and control over the use of personal data.

The launch of TruePass and the formation of the TruePass Media Alliance therefore represent a significant development in Sri Lanka’s digital publishing landscape. By bringing multiple leading publishers onto a shared identity infrastructure, the initiative establishes a foundation for stronger first-party audience relationships, new digital revenue opportunities and a more connected media ecosystem.