To level set, this is not an article about politics, per se. It’s actually my thoughts around block-chain implementation and the future of projects involving digital id. Fundamentally, are these projects missing the big picture behind decentralization? Or is such an idea beyond the capability of humans living in a world organized around government/big business monopolies?
Back in the web2 world, I’ve seen plenty of movement in the news and internet pointing to the idea of “protecting the children” from the horrors of being online. This idea shows a steady gain of traction on the traditional news/mainstream. Not surprisingly, there is little said about the role of parents. So, it comes back to money and/or control. But for those who might have picked up a book at some point, they will surely understand it’s the normal course of events throughout history.
Yet, it does beg the question. What are these two-party supporters of age restrictions protecting children from? Could it be a Trojan horse?
Bad Catitude has an interesting take on this creeping idea becomes a way to get Digital Ids started. You can find the full article on this link (luckily you don't need to subscribe, just bypass). Assuming he's correct, I thought I would look further into some of digital id world and their projects.
My first look focused on the need for digital ids from a technology perspective. But taking it deeper, it fundamentally becomes an issue of trust and privacy.
Block-Chain Projects
In 2018, there was an interesting article put out in the magazine, Bank Info Security, about digital ids. Nearly all the projects mentioned focused on the idea of meeting government regulations since they must follow such rules to operate. But what about those people working technology in the govenment sector?
This rather insightful look at the concept of digital ids from the viewpoint of government bureaucrats comes from Government Technology website from earlier this year. It's clear the article is friendly to the idea of an identity system that will give residents more control over their personal data. But do you believe anyone cares about a solution that takes control of data and hands it to the individual? Implementation (like most of tranformative tech) will become chaotic, unweldy, and (of course) opens the doors to misuse by criminals. As opposed to criminals you vote into office who won't create/follow the laws they institute for the rest of us sheep.
Kucoin has a summary of their Best Decentralized Identity (DID) Projects to Watch in 2024. The article shows the advantages to the underlying reasons behind DID but as you look through the cons stated in each project, the one item that really stands out is the focus on technology implementation. However, who decides this account/person is "real", what are the standards to safeguard the users, and what type of information is needed to ensure this to the case?
From a technology perspective, the following concepts of Self-Managed Identity can bring outstanding benefits to the entirety of block-chain initiatives.
Decentralization: No reliance on centralized authorities or third-party providers
User control: Individuals have full control over their digital identity and data
Data sovereignty: Personal data is stored and managed on personal devices
Consent-based: Users must explicitly consent to the use of their digital identity and data
The fact that several world entities, along with many governments, are actively looking for a solution leaves me skeptical as to the eventual reality. The European Union’s exploration of decentralized digital identity through initiatives like INATBA, the EU Blockchain Observatory & Forum, and the European SSI Framework and the IDunion consortium, started by the German Federal Ministry of Economics, which involves Bosch Research and other partners, may or may not have your best interests at heart.
And, of course, there is the flip side is the underlying governmental control necessary to implement digital id. If you have a physical driver’s license or social security card, or governmental id, does this become your digital id starting point? What are the ramifications for those who don’t want to comply with such rules? What happens if the state decides you must use this digital to get to the Internet, to use banking, etc? This is just a minor example of the many outstanding questions which need answers before falling into the lure of these DID projects. Does this begin with protecting the children?