Self-Sovereign Identity: Expectations & Reality

The theoretical foundation for the self-sovereign model of digital identity goes back more than a decade. While technology has slowly and steadily caught up to theory in recent years, the emergence of a global pandemic has forced a focus on the critical need for privacy and authentication in the form of trusted data ecosystems, and acted as a catalyst for a rapid growth in the concept of verifiable identity credentials.

We’ll be talking with Charlyn Ho, a Partner at Perkins Coie and digital identity pioneer Christopher Allen of Blockchain Commons. Christopher is the author of the seminal work on the subject, The Path to Self-Sovereign Identity. Charlyn’s recent paper, 'COVID-19 as a Catalyst for Advancement of Digital Identity' takes an in-depth look at how the pandemic has driven development in the sector.

We will have the opportunity to consider the history and milestones of digital identity to date, the current state of the technology and how our view of self-sovereign identity has been shaped by world events, and the future pathways that might lead us to the ideals set out in the early days of SSI.

Our guests will reflect on the roots of self-sovereign identity and share their thoughts on whether 'true SSI' can, or should be, achieved. We will take a dive into the often confused vocabulary of the industry that is misunderstood and mis-used, and look at ways that both the technological and theoretical foundations of SSI can serve as a basis for a Trusted Data Ecosystem that brings value, control, and privacy to both enterprise and individuals.

Moderator:
Heather Dahl, CEO, Indicio

Guests:

• Charlyn Ho, Partner, Perkins Coie
• Christopher Allen, Blockchain and Decentralized Identity Architect, Internet Cryptography Pioneer, Co-author TLS Security Standard

About the Guests:

Charlyn Ho:
Perkins Coie Technology Transactions and Privacy Partner, Charlyn Ho counsels clients on legal issues related to technology and privacy, including those affecting e-commerce sites, mobile devices and applications, artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML), virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR) and augmented reality (AR) platforms, cloud services, enterprise software, cryptocurrency platforms and Internet of Things devices. Charlyn serves as the co-lead of the firm’s Immersive Technology vertical. She provides strategic advice and counseling to all types of technology companies throughout their lifecycle—from startup to established enterprise. She also counsels clients on legal issues relating to digital identity and speaks and writes regularly on the topic. Charlyn presents regularly on topics related to her practice including teaching courses to in-house counsel and non-lawyers on negotiating technology agreements and transactions.

Christopher Allen:
Christopher is an entrepreneur and technologist who specializes in internet & blockchain security, digital identity, collaboration & trust. As a pioneer in internet security, he co-authored the IETF TLS internet standard that enables secure commerce on the Web. He is Founder & Executive Director of Blockchain Commons, focused on open infrastructure for the internet, and author of the book "#SmartCustody". Christopher leads efforts in the W3C on Verifiable Credentials and Decentralized Identifiers as international standards, including co-authoring the W3C DID standard, acting as invited expert to the W3C VC standard, and formerly co-chairing the W3C Credentials CG. In 2016 he chose the term “Self-Sovereign Identity” to describe 10 foundational principles for digital identity. In 2019 he was cited as a "Top 100 Influencers in Identity". In 2021 he helped establish new laws in Wyoming including a legal definition for Digital Identity and legislation to register and domicile DAOs.

Registration is required: https://indicio-tech.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUldemsrjgvHtz4jVJ0mO4ijas-APiihjgj

View the library of past webinars: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtwBqR2xCF583_xVy4isxSQ/videos

If you're interested in speaking at a future event, please email us at maya@indicio.tech

Please note that all Indicio Identity Community Events are provided free of charge as community content in support of our mission as a public benefit corporation (PBC).