World Identity Network – Secure Digital Identification Systems?

World Identity Network is a blockchain technology that aims to give people a global identity. Find out everything you need to know about the World Identity Network (WIN) today in our review.

What is the World Identity Network?

World Identity Network launched this past weekend as part of the 3rd annual Blockchain Summit 2017 taking place on Sir Richard Branson’s Necker Island. The new initiative aims to use blockchain technology to create a system of universal identification.

That description sounds a lot creepier than it intends to be. World Identity Network isn’t designed to catalog and sort the human race. Instead, the system is catered towards the 2 billion people worldwide who lack any type of identification system.

2 billion people – most of whom are living in under-developed parts of the world – lack formal identification. This prevents them from participating in the modern economy. It makes it virtually impossible to own a bank account. These people are unable to prove who they are – and children born without a birth certificate are often ignored by their country of birth.

Thanks to the World Identity Network and blockchain technology, that may soon change. Today, governments are the gatekeepers to national identity systems. With the World Identity Network, blockchain and cryptographic verification aims to be the gatekeeper.

How Does World Identity Network Work?

World Identity Network was just proposed at the end of July 2017, so there’s no working product in place. At this point, it’s just an idea with no formal structure.

The proposal for World Identity Network is straightforward: the project aims to build a digital ID system based on distributed ledger (blockchain) technology. The identity system needs to be robust, secure, and digitized.

With that goal in mind, World Identity Network is actively recruiting a global network of digital ID experts to help design and implement these systems.

In terms of technology, WIN plans to be technology agnostic and neutral. It will work across the distributed ledger technology spectrum, partnering with companies that operate on all types of blockchains and open source platforms.

What Problems Does World Identity Network Seek to Solve?

Obviously, the main goal of World Identity Network is to create a blockchain-based digital identification system. Most of the world doesn’t need a system like that. However, the system can be particularly beneficial for the 2 billion people worldwide who have no formal identification documents. Ultimately, the goal is for everyone to use World Identity Network.

Here are some of the specific development goals for the World Identity Network, moving forward:

• Provide decision makers with reliable, well-informed, unbiased advice and assistance to conceptualize and develop progressive ID systems that are robust, secure, and inclusive
• Forge a strong alliance of partners for the implementation of ID systems on the blockchain and other distributed ledger technologies or open source platforms
• Provide access to finance and develop efficient public/private partnerships to help clients achieve the vision of universal digital ID for everyone

Who’s Behind World Identity Network?

The World Identity Network initiative will be led by Mariana Dahan, former World Bank official and digital identity specialist (she created the Identification for Development (ID4D) agenda, a global program that’s been embraced by the international community.

Dahan is currently listed as the co-founder and CEO of the World Identity Network.

Conclusion On World Identity Network

The World Identity Network was proposed at 2017’s Blockchain Summit, taking place on Sir Richard Branson’s Necker Island. the objective of the summit was to catalyze progress towards a universal identification system based on the blockchain.

The World Identity Network is what emerged from the summit. The goal of the technology is to provide a blockchain-based form of identification for everyone in the world.

The press release announcing the initiative just hit the internet at the end of July, and there isn’t much additional information about the initiative available at this point. It’s still in the very early phases of development.

10 years from now, World Identity Network could be the digital identity verification system used by everyone in the world. Or, we might never hear about it again. Stay tuned for more information as the World Identity Network (WIN) project continues to roll out.