1.
How can we fix the identity problem?
What is self-sovereign digital identity and what problems does it
solve?
David G.W. Birch
Digital ID Meetup (Sydney, February 2018)
www.dgwbirch.com
@dgwbirch
v2
Can Self-Sovereign Digital Identity Help?

2.
David G.W. Birch
author, advisor and commentator
Global top 15 favourite sources of business
information (Wired Magazine);
London FinTech Top 10 most influential
commentators (City A.M.);
Top 20 Fintech Influencer (JAX London);
Top five Leader in IDentity (Rise);
Top 10 Twitter account followed by
innovators, alongside Bill Gates and Richard
Branson (PR Daily);
Top 10 most influential voices in banking
(Financial Brand);
Top 50 blockchain insider (Richtopia);
Europe’s most influential commentator on
emerging payments (Total Payments).
2

3.
Time for some clear
thinking around digital
identity
Let’s create a model to helps us formulate a solution
3

4.
The Three Domain Model
We’re all crazy for “digital identity” – but what is it?
4

5.
Identification Domain
Binding a digital identity to a mundane identity is expensive
5

6.
Authentication Domain
For the foreseeable future, mobile the mass market
6

7.
Authorisation Domain
Allow me to… do stuff
7

8.
Case Study: BBVA
Banks use this framework
8

9.
The NIST Standard
Governments use this framework
9

10.
Who will create the
infrastructure?
Banks, internet giants, governments, NGOs… or us?
10

11.
Who Creates Digital ID?
Who holds the private key, basically

12.
Self-Sovereign Digital Identity
The user must be central to the administration of identity;
The identity must be transportable;
It must allow ordinary users to make claims
• From a “pull” to “push” model, with users selecting the virtual identity;
In creating the identity, “we must protect the individual”.
Christopher Allen (27th April 2016)
Ten Principles: Existence, Control, Access, Transparency,
Persistence, Portability, Interoperability, Consent,
Minimalisation, Protection

13.
Transactions are between Virtual IDs
Transactions use the public key – do they care where the private key is?

14.
Discovery: Is this where the Blockchain helps?
Transactions use the public key – do they care where the private key is?

15.
Discussion
Is this the right model and framework for self-sovereign digital identity
(SSID) ? (Keyword: Credentials)
What real problems to we face that SSID can solve? (Keyword: Control)
If we do need SSID, how do we manage the problem of the private keys?
(Keyword: Recovery)
If we do want people to manage their own keys, how will we educate them?
(Keyword: Consent)

16.
in the future, everyone will be famous for fifteen megabytes
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