The sheer vastness of digital data that’s available for individuals is creating a new type of identity. Now, Microsoft is using blockchain technology to give people a way to manage and control all of the various elements of their digital identities.
The company recently shared a blog post explaining the thought process behind this new initiative and the importance of managing this type of data. Here’s a bit more about what the company is working on.
Microsoft digital identities initiative
Microsoft’s work with digital identities comes after the company announced a collaboration with the Decentralized Identity Foundation (DIF). To solve some of the challenges that go along with managing digital personal data, Microsoft is utilizing blockchain technology, the same type of technology that is used for cryptocurrencies like bitcoin.
Specifically, the company is developing an off-chain solution to process large volumes of data related to digital identities without congesting the network. The overall goal is to help people improve the privacy and security of their digital identities.
Future solutions
These solutions are still in the early stages of development. However, it does suggest that the tech giant has high hopes for blockchain technology and its ability to apply it to areas outside of cryptocurrencies. But until the company has working prototypes to demo, it has offered some findings from its research with DIF and some potential new services that could help people more easily control and manage their digital identities.
Some of those proposed future solutions include decentralized identifiers, identity hubs, universal DID resolver, and verifiable credentials. Each of these solutions is intended to work toward the company’s stated goal alongside the goals of the Decentralized Identity Foundation. This means Microsoft is working on collaboratively developing those solutions and coming up with ways to scale them using blockchain solutions.
Photo credit: Pexels
