Identity.com unveils Gateway Protocol V2 to help users protect personal identity information
Identity.com launched version-two of its next-generation Gateway Protocol to enable users at individual and enterprise levels to have far more control over sensitive personal identity information that is vulnerable to hacks and abuse by a wide range of actors.
Founded by the one of the lead creators of the Apple App Store, Phillip Shoemaker, Identity.com is the first not-for-profit company to combine data security, encryption, and decentralization with identity verification with the support from new partners like identity verification tools from Socure and the data collection encryption mechanisms of Evervault.
This tool comes at a time of intensifying online surveillance and increased frequency of hacks and breaches, offering developers the ability to shield their users from having personal identity information compromised. Identity’s Gateway Protocol is explicitly designed to fix the shortcomings that plague Web2 applications that surveil and potentially restrict privacy, providing leading blockchain and Web3 projects with the ability to perform identity verification while abiding by the founding principles of security, privacy, and user ownership.
“By focusing on creating a permissionless protocol, we are building toward our mission of putting the power of self-sovereign identity into every software developer’s hands,” said Phillip Shoemaker, Executive Director of Identity.com. “Our V2 update is the next step in creating the perfect balance between security, anonymity, and accountability for a more developer- and consumer-friendly Web3 experience.”
Identity’s V2 offers a permissionless business-to-consumer pass where users are charged directly for services with no implicit B2B relationship between the dApp and the Gatekeeper. The Gateway Protocol can be integrated into any dApp or platform’s existing interfaces to require users to obtain a pass, known as a Gateway Pass, which represents the user’s adherence to a specific set of rules such as age, country of residence, IP address, and more. The verification process involves a Gatekeeper, or an individual validator, that has an operational stake in the network and is paid through users’ validation fees, who may issue a reusable Gateway Pass to the user’s wallet. These Passes may be used with other services that have similar requirements, which simplifies the onboarding process for users and the service.
“We’ve listened to customer feedback on V1 of our Gateway Protocol and have built a more complete protocol to better serve their needs,” said Seamus Hennessy, Product Manager at Identity.com. “We envision a B2C2B relationship of a permissionless nature that still is able to satisfy regulatory requirements while simplifying the end-user experience for a more familiar, web2-like feel.”
For integrators, the update offers more control by adding expiry dates to passes and further data fields, as well as the ability to combine passes to meet additional identity requirements. It also improves security by simplifying the creation and deletion of Gatekeeper Networks and the addition of multi-signature support. Gatekeepers will see an addition of staking support as well as more settlement options in the form of multi-token support. Finally, the protocol will provide the toolkits to securely store Personally Identifiable Information in a distributed solution when required for compliance reasons.