DTP Web of Trust Graph
Use your trusted network.
The DTP web of trust graph is part of the DTP protocol
Web of Trust
The DTP web of trust graph role of the DTP server is to serve user requests on the user personal trust network. The claim message in itself is a plain value carrier, and therefore, a graph structure is needed to be able to search through relevant trust based on a users perspective. A DTP server collects claim messages that are relevant for its users and build up a graph structure that is searchable.
The DTP protocol defines a standard search and result structure for search and result, and it also defines a standard set of rules on how to search through the web of trust graph regarding the perspective of the user.
A simple scenario of issuing trust and searching for it.
Client A issue trust to Client B and Client B issue trust to Client C
Client A searches on Client C and gets the result from the DTP search server. The result contains the trust from A to B and the trust from B to C.
It is up to the client to decide how to interpret the search result as there may be multiple results from different identities having different opinions. Therefore the server presents the data, and the client handles it from thereon.
Some basic rules of the search engine are that searches never go further than 3 degrees away from the user, as this quickly become irrelevant the further out in the network the search goes. Another rule is that the only result from the same degree is returned and the search does not continue further onto the next degree when a match is found. Only trusted identities on the network are followed, and distrusted identities are ignored.
The chains of trust are the basics of the system, as they enable for verification of proof of identity credentials by following the trust chains generated by authorities.
Case study
The anonymous reporter
Imagine a dictatorship where the news outlet is highly controlled, and the real information is limited. Imagine a reporter from within the country that want to publish reports about the conditions of things that is not in favor of the ruling government. The problem is how to trust the reports coming out of the country reliably. The dictatorship may also be engaging in fake news fabrication disguised as coming from freedom thinkers. The DTP allows for pseudonymous identity and therefore makes it possible to trust someone how real identity is unknown, but are just identified by a public key. The reporter can establish a trusted reputation on the graph network though proof multiple reports that check out correct. This enables the reporter to publish information that immediately can be trusted by other news outlets without the need to verify the information first. Information from unknown sources can be viewed with a high degree of suspicion as there is no reputation behind it.
Conclusion
The Web of Trust graph is one of the powerful features of the DTP protocol. It enables individuals to leverage their network of trust without having to pick up the phone or relying on unknown entities reviews. The Web of Trust graph can provide instant information about subjects as the user browsers though the internet; however, it is always from the users own trusted network perspective and not from a centralized entity.
The Web of Trust graph is as most useful when it is publicly available for anybody to participate. This requires that the users are willingly giving up their information about whom they trust. Currently, large social platforms already have this information, so in most cases, DTP would provide nothing new about this other than the information is public for everyone. This problem can be reduced by using multiple accounts on DTP in different contexts.
