We will see in the context and study sections that identification is a central issue in social organization. Furthermore, as techniques are evolving rapidly, it is important for Awakening to be effective in this field.
The identity of individuals plays a capital central role throughout the animal kingdom: recognizing to associate information. For example, this horse is spirited, that friend is calm, etc. Identity plays an important role in adapting behaviors.
When groups became too large to memorize everyone, non-identification became a problem. Several alternative solutions helped fill the functionality void, such as:
Technological advancement has greatly progressed capabilities regarding centralized identification. For example, centralized files in computers, the addition of multiple pieces of information associated with identity, or even facial recognition. Furthermore, the mastery of social networks by large capitalist groups has allowed them to add a role of information association to identity: promoting certain people (and thus ideas) and silencing others.
We therefore see that tools related to identity are becoming increasingly powerful.
Are identification functions necessary in a just society ? If so, how then to provide identification and information association functions to identities without falling into current pitfalls ?
The habit of authoritarianism and the lack of knowledge of modern techniques push towards having a distorted vision of identity. For example, it is now possible to prove that one does not yet have an account with a certain service without revealing information about oneself other than this proof (no name, no email, no identity ID, etc.). Modern technological feats are often counter-intuitive because the capabilities are so high. For example, it is possible to maintain a totally public and transparent accounting where everyone can verify compliance with rules while respecting the anonymity of account owners as well as the confidentiality of transactions; that is to say, one does not know which account pays which sum to which account! See such an example: ZCash.
This is why we must rethink identity as a system of services and no longer as a simple identifier that we give out willy-nilly and that serves for everything, as we do with an identity card. We must now see identity as a right to provide certain proofs.
Some technical possibilities:
For example, with blockchain technology, it is possible to not have a point of vulnerability like an authority can be (corruption, penetration of the IT service, etc.).
A public organization (police, State, etc.) or private one (company, association, etc.) can obtain the right to request information managed by the identity. One might think that asking for information is never a problem, but this is false because a service can blackmail by refusing service if the information is not given. It is precisely this mechanism that causes the current inflation in intrusive information requests from companies.
To control the right of request, it is possible to give or revoke a request authorization key to/from different organizations. This right can be entirely managed in a decentralized manner via the blockchain. For example, everyone confidentially chooses what they authorize, and the majority of choices wins. We could thus have a city police force that would have the right to ask for the address of people stopped, and which would be denied the right if the majority of people find that this police force is abusive.
Rights management may not be based on the majority; it can also be integrated into a sophisticated and intelligent system also managed without authority.
We can prove it without the service provider even knowing who we are.
It suffices to have an alias generation system integrated into the email service or even provided by another service.
It is possible to create an identity based on criteria and proofs where everyone can play the role of the user or the administration. A system for memorizing who played the role of the administration for which user allows to represent a network and thus spot fraud. A reliability score can be assigned to restrict fraudsters. This helps avoid fraud where a group would seek to build false identities by validating each other. Each identity could be verified by random members in order to detect fraud.
In practice, various criteria such as physical appearance (biometrics, etc.), state identity, etc., can be used. The person acting as verifier puts their reputation on the network at stake. All this information can be stored not in plain text but in a form that prevents data theft. The goal is not to keep the information but to produce a unique numerical value which cannot change from one verification to another.
Here are a few services that show it is necessary to have identity management:
Identity is central to society and technical means are evolving fast. We observe rapid growth in the intrusion of political and economic powers into private life.
We cannot regain control by hoping to block it through the expression of popular demand because modern techniques of material and immaterial confinement have played in favor of those who organize themselves autonomously (currently the ruling class). The only solution is to organize autonomously in a decentralized manner so as not to be vulnerable and fall back into power grabs.
Like any reorganization, this involves dangers (cf. the Russian Revolution). Because the more we touch the heart of social organization, the more errors cause fragilities.
Fortunately, clean solution techniques have also progressed, and there are many people with the skills to produce reliable and aesthetic tools.
It is necessary to build a decentralized identification and certificate tool, as this allows protecting Awakening from attacks and is also indispensable for a viable social organization.
The study section defines some useful functions, but it is necessary to deepen the requirements and techniques.