Vitalik introduces ‘pluralistic’ IDs to protect privacy in digital identity systems

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has introduced a caller benignant of integer individuality strategy dubbed “pluralistic identity,” arguing it could support privateness portion enabling just information successful integer life.

In a blog station published Sunday, Buterin explored the committedness and pitfalls of zero-knowledge (ZK) proof-wrapped IDs, informing that adjacent privacy-preserving systems tin transportation superior risks if they rigidly enforce 1 individuality per person.

The Ethereum (ETH) mastermind noted that galore caller integer ID projects usage zero-knowledge proofs to fto users beryllium they person a valid ID without revealing idiosyncratic details. Examples include World ID, which has surpassed 10 cardinal users, Taiwan’s integer ID project, and European Union initiatives progressively adopting ZK technology.

“ZK-wrapping solves a batch of important problems,” helium wrote, but warned that “ZK-wrapped ID inactive has risks,” particularly due to the fact that enforcing 1 ID per idiosyncratic tin undermine pseudonymity and exposure users to coercion.

Source: Buterin

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Single integer IDs could termination pseudonymity

One cardinal hazard Buterin identified is that platforms could unit users into a single, trackable identity, eliminating the quality to support abstracted pseudonymous profiles. “In the existent world, pseudonymity mostly requires having aggregate accounts,” helium said.

Without this flexibility, helium argued, users could find themselves successful a satellite wherever “all of your enactment indispensable de-facto beryllium nether a azygous nationalist identity,” heightening dangers from authorities oregon leader surveillance.

Buterin besides rejected the thought of utilizing “proof of wealth” unsocial arsenic an anti-Sybil measure, saying it excludes radical incapable to wage and concentrates powerfulness among the wealthy. “The theoretical perfect is thing successful the middle, wherever you tin get N identities astatine a outgo of N²,” helium said.

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Buterin proposes pluralistic IDs

To execute a flexible approach, Buterin projected pluralistic individuality systems, wherever nary azygous authorization controls individuality issuance, arsenic the “best realistic solution.”

He explained these could beryllium explicit, utilizing social-graph-based verification similar Circles, oregon implicit, relying connected aggregate ID providers — authorities documents, societal platforms, and others — truthful nary 1 ID gains near-total marketplace share.

“Any signifier of pluralistic identity… is people much error-tolerant,” helium noted, pointing retired that this flexibility helps stateless individuals oregon those incapable to entree accepted IDs.

Ultimately, Buterin argued the champion result would merge one-per-person individuality schemes with social-graph systems to bootstrap diverse, planetary individuality networks.

“If their marketplace stock gets excessively adjacent to 100%, they displacement the world… to a one-per-person model, which has worse properties,” helium warned, stressing that lone pluralistic individuality tin equilibrium privacy, inclusivity, and absorption to abuse.

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