Why Does Humanity Protocol Matter

The prevailing digital identity frameworks in Web 2.0 applications largely mirror the traditional identity models found in the physical world. Whether centralized or federated, these models involve the collection and processing of user information, with identity issuance and verification typically centralized (e.g., Governments issuing passports and driver's licenses).

However, even setting aside the challenge of interoperability across platforms, the monopolization of user trust and data renders these models woefully outdated in the Web3 era. Merely transplanting these models onto blockchains is not only undesirable but potentially perilous.

As a result of these challenges, Web3 is currently characterized by a lack of robust identity mechanisms, leaving many applications susceptible to Sybil attacks at the application level.

💡 Web 2.0 Models of Digital Identity fall under either the Centralized Identity or Federated Identity models.

In a Centralized Identity setup, each application maintains exclusive control over its own database of user identities and personal data. Consequently, users must manage different sets of identities and login credentials to access various applications, without any unified access across platforms.

On the other hand, Federated Identity involves multiple applications reaching mutual agreements to create "federations" wherein user identity and login credentials are shared (e.g., users logging into a new website using their Google accounts).

While Federated Identity does enhance cross-platform access compared to Centralized Identity, both models are characterized by a dominant trusted identity issuer/zkProofers that holds a monopoly over user private data control.

Humanity Protocol is Building Self-Sovereign Identity for Web3

At Humanity Protocol, we firmly believe that the permission-less nature of Web3 shouldn't equate to being “identity-less”.

With the cumulative advancements in human recognition, decentralized storage, and zero-knowledge proofs, we've reached a point where a genuinely privacy-preserving Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) framework is not just a vision, but a reality.

💡 Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) is a decentralized identity model that returns to the users the control and autonomy of their own identity data.

Under SSI, users (”holders”) will have their identities and corresponding data digitally issued and signed by a trusted “Issuer”. Once issued, such digital identifiers (DID) or verifiable credentials (VC) are stored on the blockchain and controlled only by the users (not the Issuer).

In particular, users can digitally sign and share their data with third-party applications (”zkProofers”), and these applications can independently verify the authenticity of user data on the blockchain, without the need for any trusted middleman.

Humanity Protocol will also introduce various methods for data recovery (e.g. social recovery) and may have further specifications on expiration depending on the nature of the VC.

Compared to legacy identity models, Humanity Protocol’s SSI offers the following key advantages:

Key Traits	Advantages
Decentralization	Humanity Protocol utilizes the permissionless Proof-of-Humanity (PoH) mechanism, achieving an unprecedented level of decentralization in the management processes of user identity information.
User Control	Users of Humanity Protocol own their data and maintain access and control at all times. User consent is required before any of their data is accessed or shared.
Data Verifiability	The authenticity of user data can be efficiently verified utilizing biometrics-based human recognition, proven L2 KYC solutions and zero-knowledge proofs.
Privacy	Helped by privacy-preserving decentralized storage and zero-knowledge proofs, users maintain control of their private data and can choose to selectively share them on a minimal, ”need-to-know” basis.
Security	Humanity Protocol’s decentralized system architecture removes single points of failure and enables “crowd-securing” by decentralized nodes, allowing for Sybil resistance on both consensus and application levels.
Interoperability	Humanity Protocol is built on the open standards of DID and VC and developed with interoperability in mind. User VCs will be portable to other applications on L2, L3, — even the physical world.
Inclusive	Humanity Protocol is created to onboard all human beings on Earth. Every process is designed to be as simple, efficient and scalable as possible to achieve this goal.
Transparency	All relevant operations and data (except for private information) will be moved on-chain to facilitate transparency and accountability.
Upgradability	Humanity Protocol’s architecture is highly modular, allowing for efficient upgrades in response to the changing world.