What Does It Mean to Have Your ID in Your Control?
As you move around and travel, you will be asked to prove who you are and produce some sort of identification. If you cannot do so, you may be denied access of services or even entry. This can be extremely inconvenient and even frightening.
Imagine if you had the same misfortune as my Indian friend who had her passport stolen with her luggage in the back of a rental car in Spain while looking over a gorgeous vista. It took less than two minutes for the theft and over two weeks to get new documents and the entry back into the UK. What had been an amazing trip up until then, was now a disaster.
No money, no documents and most of all lost wages as she could not get back to work on time.
We rely on physical documents to prove who we are and it is well known that there are a great number of companies and government bodies continuously working on how to be one step ahead of the fraudsters. There are a number of efforts being undertaken to remove the need for documents. Most of the solutions rely on your taking a copy of the issued documents (passports, driver’s licence) to be able to start the identification process. There are also projects going on around the world such as Dubai where biometrics are being tested to authenticate.
The fundamental challenges with all of these is that it demands the issuance of a paper document to be able to start the user journey. The greater challenge however is the user journey and the general acceptance of these apps. There is a need to create a movement and wide acceptance and most of all a trusted and secure mechanism for delivering IDs.
Now, let’s imagine the future with DID.
Paper version of documents are not required as you have in your wallet a digital certified version of your data that is in your full control. When you are asked to prove who you are, you can do so with ease and be assured that you will receive the required services and access.
With DID, not only will you have your ID in your own control on your own device, but we expect a multitude of functionalities will be available to you such as:
- Logging into websites
- Showing your Passport on a border
3. Proving your ID to an Officer
4. Sharing information about yourself much like you currently do with a business card
5. Logging into smart devices
6. Getting access to your office building
7. Signing important documents
8. Associating your medical records securely on the Blockchain
The use cases for this could be endless but the most important aspect will be that you will be able to have greater control of your identity and no longer risk having your life turned upside down because your documents were stolen.
