You should care about decentralized identity in the wake of COVID-19

Trusting third parties to securely hold our personal data is a risky - and often losing - proposition.

The number of hacks that have resulted in stolen personal data is staggering.

In the top 15 data breaches, the personal data of 3.5 billion people have been stolen.

We can strengthen personal data security and resolve privacy concerns with decentralized identity solutions, such as self-sovereign identity, or SSI. The fundamental principle of SSI is that individuals are able to control how their own identities are used, shared and accessed, rather than third parties and central authorities.

An SSI system creates ironclad digital wallets on a smartphone through decentralized blockchain technology that enables people to share identity information without compromising security.

People can choose to share personal data - in a limited and non-copyable way - through their smartphones.

Interest in securely sharing personal data through SSI has greatly increased in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

These passports allow those who are safe from contracting or spreading the virus to go back to their workplaces and public areas, as people can quickly present their verifiable and trusted health data.

The immediate need to share personal health data during the pandemic is proving to be a catalyst for interest in decentralized identity solutions.

These solutions continue beyond health data.