self-sovereign identity

Self-sovereign identity concepts

Self-sovereign identity is made up of claims, proofs and attestations:

• A claim is an assertion of identity made by the user.
• Proofs are the forms or documents that act as evidence for a claim. So, for example, a proof could be a passport or birth certificate.
• An attestation, or validation, is when the other party validates the claim is true. Attestations can be stored in the user’s device and are typically machine readable.

Pros and cons of self-sovereign identity

Some pros to using self-sovereign identity include:

• It is more secure and prevent common attacks to personal data, such as breaches.
• Data is more private.
• Users have a higher control over their own data.
• The process is more efficient.
• Users do not have to rely on other identity providers who may sell and monetize your data.

Cons of self-sovereign identity include:

• Users are responsible for their own security.
• There could be multiple identity platforms, meaning users may have to use multiple apps.
• Keeping track of personal data and permissions can become complex.
• Certain data intermediaries may not be able to be removed.
• Proof data is normally unstructured and could be easily faked.