CAC Presents | Digital Identity and the Next-generation Internet

The Internet brings us convenience. People use it to communicate freely, exchange knowledge, and build prosperity. Yet, throughout its evolution, the question “Who are you?” has always lingered. To date, we have not yet found an effective online solution to address the issue of digital identity. The account registration and password system as a method of verification generate many problems, including users overloaded with managing numerous accounts and passwords. And users’ online identity is never truly secure since third-party platforms have the ability to revoke accounts or even fake online behaviour. Cases of private information being compromised and leaked are frequent and numerous.

Various plans have been proposed to create a secure digital identity based on technologies such as Blockchain, Cryptography, and Trusted Computing, among others. Science and technology companies including Microsoft, IBM and W3C are actively working together to push forward the progress of Decentralized Identity and Self-sovereign Identity. This talk will lay out the proposed methods to address this problem, discuss each plan’s current stage of development, and consider how they will shape the next generation of the Internet.