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IPFS News Link • Hacking, Cyber Security

Digital Identity is Essential for Online Privacy, But Who's Leading the Pack in 2021?

• https://www.nextbigfuture.com, by Brian Wang

 First, and perhaps the most significant driver from the individual perspective, is privacy.

The increasing shift to digital means users must leave electronic copies of sensitive paper documents like passports or identity cards littered across the internet. Furthermore, high profile data breaches have become so normalized, they barely break news headlines anymore. In one of the most recent instances to affect a high-profile firm, Spotify was forced to reset user passwords after it admitted that it had leaked customer data to its third-party business partners. The average user already has around 100 online account passwords to manage, creating a poor online experience with too much friction.

From the enterprise perspective, firms are also taking responsibility for significant swathes of user data. In many circumstances, it would be easier for them to navigate data protection legislation such as the EU GDPR were they not to collect it.

The answer to all this lies in equipping users with self-sovereign digital identities. The general idea is that individuals will hold all of their data in an online wallet and decide for themselves which parties have access. Although there are several approaches, using blockchain technology is a popular choice because it offers multiple advantages, including user privacy and control thanks to public-key encryption.

With the concept of digital health passports on the horizon following the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine, there's a powerful imperative to provide a suitable solution. Currently, there are several firms making significant strides in the area of blockchain-based digital identity. Here are a few of the frontrunners.


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