We made it via months of wedding ceremony planning with out ever elevating our voices. We negotiated the invites with laughter and pleasure. We calmly made our method via the marriage rehearsal, and the ceremony and reception went off with no hitch.
Now we had been newlyweds.
All that was left was to go on our honeymoon. What might probably go incorrect?
It was easy crusing from right here…
That’s, till we acquired to the airport and realized my spouse’s passport had expired.
Fortunately, with categorical passport providers and a moderately egregious one-time cost of $700, our honeymoon was solely delayed someday.
It’s a scary second whenever you notice you may be locked out of a visit due to a easy oversight.
Sadly, this second is sure to occur to many Individuals over the approaching months.
As a result of beginning as we speak, each traveler within the U.S. aged 18 and older is meant to want a REAL ID-compliant type of identification to fly domestically.
Based on the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA), round 81% of vacationers at the moment have compliant IDs.
Meaning thousands and thousands nonetheless don’t.
So what is that this REAL ID anyway?
It’s a part of a nationwide effort that started after 9/11 to create a extra uniform, safe system of state-issued IDs. The concept was to tighten the requirements for issuing driver’s licenses and to make id verification safer and constant throughout all 50 states.
And it’s a good suggestion. However right here’s the factor…
REAL ID isn’t really a digital id system. It’s only a harder-to-fake bodily card.
In different phrases, it’s a Twentieth-century resolution for a Twenty first-century downside.
Look, I feel it’s nice that the U.S. is pushing for a extra centralized, top-down strategy to id verification.
However I imagine we’re lacking out on a greater, safer method to ensure we’re all who we are saying we’re.
It’s known as Self-Sovereign Id (SSI), and it ought to reshape the way in which we strategy id verification within the digital age.
A New Id
To grasp the promise of Self-Sovereign Id, it’ll assist if we first check out the issues we’ve inherited from the techniques we use as we speak.
In a centralized mannequin — whether or not it’s the DMV, Fb, your financial institution or a authorities company — your id is saved, managed and shared by another person.
In different phrases, your information lives on their servers. Which suggests they get to determine who sees what… and when.
Clearly, this comes with dangers, particularly as information breaches grow to be extra routine.
Based on Statista.com, over 1.35 billion people had been affected by information compromises, together with information breaches, leakage and publicity in 2024.
That could be a 283% improve from the yr earlier than.
And since your private information is scattered throughout dozens of platforms, every one is a possible level of failure.
That’s why verifying somebody’s id typically requires a number of third events. However all that does is sluggish all the pieces down and create much more alternatives for fraud.
REAL ID doesn’t repair these issues.
It doesn’t offer you management over your individual information, and it doesn’t work on-line. All it does is add one other piece to the patchwork of potential factors of failure.
That’s why I’m a proponent of Self-Sovereign Id. As a result of with SSI, the thought is that as an alternative of counting on establishments to outline and retailer your id, you carry it with you.
In different phrases, you personal and management your digital id.
Right here’s the way it works.
You’re given your individual distinctive Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs), that are blockchain-based IDs that you simply management.
You even have Verifiable Credentials (VCs), that are digitally signed credentials from trusted issuers that may be immediately verified with out revealing delicate information. These are issues like a college diploma or a COVID vaccination.
However this information now not must be saved on an organization or authorities server.
As a substitute, it’s held in a safe digital pockets just like a crypto pockets. Besides this one holds your private information.
Meaning your credentials aren’t locked to 1 platform or nation. You should use them throughout borders and throughout providers. In lots of circumstances, you may even use them offline.
That makes your information transportable and personal. And it additionally makes it safe since you determine who will get to see what.
Wish to confirm you’re over 21? You are able to do that with out exhibiting your birthdate or deal with.
In truth, you may show any details about your self, like your citizenship or work {qualifications}, with out exposing any greater than is important.
And I wish to be clear. This isn’t some pie-in-the-sky concept.
We’ve all of the items to make this work.
The worldwide marketplace for digital credential administration software program is anticipated to just about double from 2024 to 2029.
Supply: https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/
And different governments are already beginning to transfer ahead with SSI applications.
In 2023, the European Union accepted its framework for a Digital Id Pockets, which can enable all EU residents to make use of SSI-based credentials for providers throughout member states.
And China has launched its personal model, RealDID, designed to let customers authenticate on-line providers utilizing decentralized identifiers whereas nonetheless maintaining authorities oversight.
What’s extra, we’ve seen the sensible software of this type of program in the actual world.
The UN World Meals Programme applied a profitable blockchain-based id system to assist Syrian refugees in Jordan obtain meals assist without having a government-issued ID.
In the meantime, right here within the U.S. we’re nonetheless issuing plastic ID playing cards.
Right here’s My Take
For those who haven’t “upgraded” to a REAL ID but, you’re not alone.
Many of us are planning on utilizing their passports as an alternative after they journey domestically.
And simply yesterday, the Division of Homeland Safety (DHS) Secretary, Kristi Noem, introduced that vacationers with out the doc would face extra screening as we speak however would nonetheless be allowed to fly.
I have a look at REAL ID as a missed alternative.
Positive, it could possibly get you thru the TSA, however SSI might take you thru to the following degree of id verification…
From centralized management to particular person possession.
As a result of in an more and more digital economic system, you’ll wish to be the one holding the keys to your individual id.
Regards,
Ian King
Chief Strategist, Banyan Hill Publishing
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