The projects listed below articulate a roadmap for delivering digital identities enabling owners to mutually identify, authenticate, and securely collaborate. ECDHE (Diffie-Hellman) using OTPs or a signalling server can be used to securely exchange public copies of digital identities between users. HTTPS and branded digital identity templates can be used to securely exchange public copies of digital identities between users and service providers (i.e. online). See Q&A [20-24].
Identity Agents: Identity agents create and deploy digital identities for the owner such that sovereign copies are stored in the wallet object and public copies in the contacts objects. The software is incrementally released and installed on owners’ devices as required.
Real Estate: Real estate transactions carrying sensitive identifying, legal, and wire transfer data are shared among collaborating real estate agents, home owners, and buyers. This project involves stakeholders operating within a given real estate context using identity agents and digital identities to securely exchange real estate transactions by way of email and SMS messaging.
E-Commerce: In this case, consumers purchase specialty products online. The seller offers branded (sealed) digital identity templates to visiting shoppers over HTTPS. The consumer uses her identity agent to populate the template with her identifying information to create her digital identity. The consumer and seller exchange and cross-seal public copies of their digital identities when registering. Thereafter, they can mutually identify, authenticate, and process orders including credit card information online.
Social Networks: Members of social networks benefit from having digital identities instead of passwords to log in. This project involves a social network (like Bluesky, Facebook) offering branded (sealed) digital identity templates to a cadre of members (like journalists). They populate the template and exchange public copies of their digital identities with the social network provider to register. Subsequently, they use their public copies to log into the network’s web site and securely collaborate with like-minded members holding digital identities.
Professional Networks: In this project, a professional network (e.g. LinkedIn) offers branded (sealed) digital identity templates to colleagues who populate, create, and register their digital identities. Members can use their public copies, instead of passwords, to log in. Mutually endorsed members can use their digital identities to mutually identify, mutually authenticate and securely collaborate via email and SMS.
Banks (Credit Unions): Financial institutions typically offer notary services to customers. Having installed identity agents and branded digital banking identities, customers can safely log into the online banking system. A customer can thereby securely submit an identifying document to a notary and receive a digitally sealed (notarized) copy.
Government: Departments of Motor Vehicles (DMVs) require drivers to submit identifying documents when renewing a digital driver’s license. The documents may be digitally notarized. Drivers having identity agents are provided branded digital identity (DMV) templates which they populate to create a trial digital (DMV) license. The driver and DMV exchange public copies of their digital identities establishing a secure channel which the driver uses to submit his identifying document(s) for identity-proofing. If the DMV successfully identity-proofs the driver, he is issued a sealed digital (DMV) license.