Change Connections - Idea: Public Key Infrastructure

You need to be signed in to like an idea.

You are not authorized to access that location.

Focus Point #16

ID for All

Many countries lack a widespread identification system and millions of people don’t have an official way to prove their identity. This leads to many challenges for people to get loans, be able to vote or use available public services. But many people do have a reputation within their communities — there are few ways to use that as validation. At the same time, security is often an issue, and handing over your identity can lead to privacy concerns.

The Big Question

What could offer people safe identification or help them build trusted reputations?

Expand

Tweet Idea

Idea

Public Key Infrastructure - it works for the web!

by Joshua Klein

PKI is the principle upon which most internet security is based. It’s also the security methodology OpenID, Google’s OAuth, and Facebook Connect is based on. It allows you to have any many IDs as you like – and through which you are constrained only by the reputation and respect attached to them.

Like this idea

1 Comment

ruhatd

Does it not work for the web because each of our multiple IDs are tied back to our real identities through information we give websites when we sign up? If the issue is how to create a ‘real identity’ on which to base collateral for loans, respect/reputational enforcement mechanisms may not work. I think your idea relies on the premise that people engage using these identities in the long-term (i.e. they’re repeat players) so that the reputation they build upon any particular identity is worth more than the financial benefit they would get from defaulting and running away with a loan. But what if people create identities for short-term or single-use purposes? They have nothing to lose by defaulting…

Add a New Comment

Join the Conversation!

The Feast + Nokia invite you to Change Connections