Privado ID launches Identity Verification for Apps: in-app, zero-install human verification 50% faster!

The team of researchers, ZK engineers, and developers of Privado ID, from the team behind Polygon ID, are thrilled to unveil Privado ID Release 7, a revolutionary milestone on Privado ID’s path to become the most adopted digital identity open-source software.

With the launch of new Privado ID Web Wallet, this release lays the groundwork for what's to come in the following months, with the primary aim of elevating the user experience to the standards of Web2 applications while maintaining the decentralization, reusability and trust inherent in Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) Web3 solutions.

This Release brings other exciting advancements, which we will discuss below. Get ready to fix identity with Privado ID!

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In-App Identity Verification: 50% faster!

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With the launch of the Identity Web Wallet, we've successfully streamlined the authorization process, reducing the required customer touchpoints from 9 to just 4. Users can now verify their human identity 50% faster, without leaving their app. Say farewell to installations and other hassles associated with user authorization!

Within the new application flow, users simply need to authenticate by signing a message with their crypto-wallets, as they do in any other Dapp. 

If an identity wallet doesn't already exist, it's automatically created in the background. Within the same flow, users can then claim credentials, which your application can easily verify in a privacy-preserving manner. These credentials are encrypted with the user's keys, ensuring that only they can access them, and then securely stored on cloud storage to facilitate a multi-device experience. The reusability of credentials eliminates the need for redundant credential issuance processes.

It's important to emphasize that the improvements extend beyond simply reducing the number of steps. With the new flow integrated within the application, everything becomes easier and more intuitive for the user. Furthermore, the new process eliminates painful steps such as managing a new set of keys.

In upcoming versions, we'll go a step further introducing additional authenticators as passkeys. Additionally, we're working towards decentralizing storage.

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As an implementation example, the next video showcases the integration of Privado ID WebWallet with the Verax attestation registry on the Linea zkEVM Chain developed by Consensys. Privado ID is the first solution integrated with Linea that uses biometrics to issue Proof of Liveness (also known as Proof of Humanity) attestations. Linea has trusted Privado ID to issue credentials based on biometric information due to Privado ID's robust privacy measures. Neither Linea nor Privado ID has access to the biometric information; only the users have access, and it can only be shared with their consent.

This integration of Privado ID on the Linea zkEVM Chain extends Privado ID reach, formerly Polygon ID, beyond the Polygon network.

If you are interested in obtaining an attestation on Verax/Linea that proves you are a unique human, after obtaining your Proof of Liveness and Proof of Uniqueness credentials, please access here.

If you would also like to see how you can reuse the credentials you obtained in Verax/Linea to verify your humanity in other projects with just one click, please access here.

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Free Credentials Available

In this initial release, users will have access to three types of credentials provided by one single provider:

1. Proof of Liveness: This involves a live test using a camera where users need to move their face. Proof of Liveness, also known as Proof of Humanity, is used as a bot prevention mechanism. This credential will be provided free of charge.
2. Proof of Uniqueness: Same test as with Proof of Liveness, but you additionally get a proof that you are unique. This proof will be used to prevent sybil attacks.
3. Proof of Identity: Users will be required to present their identity document. For a limited time, Privado ID will sponsor the cost of the proof of identity credential.

In the near future, we plan to introduce a permission-less process to allow more credential providers to seamlessly integrate into the flow. Our ongoing work on a "credential proposal protocol" aims to facilitate this.

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And Only a Few Lines of Code Away!

Implementing this new flow is a breeze for developers. With just a few lines of code, verification becomes seamlessly integrated into the application.

Plus, developers can also take advantage of the convenience offered by a no-coding tool like the Query Builder to generate the lines of code which define the specific information requested from the user (see the code below within the zkQueries section).

Just add a few lines of code and your verification is ready to go!

If you are an app developer, don’t just trust us, access our developer documentation, and verify it!

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Context Based Unique Identifier

Identifiers like a National ID serve to establish our identity, uniqueness, and accountability, while attributes such as ‘date of birth’ verify eligibility, such as access to specific content.

Regarding the identifiers we can distinguish two types: universal and context based unique identifiers.

The downside to these universal unique identifiers, as your National ID, is their traceability and potential for being barred from certain contexts. When two separate applications link your identity with the same universal unique identifier, they can share information to track your activities or even prohibit your access.

Your reputation can be shared across applications without your explicit consent. This allows one application to access your actions on another platform, enabling additional actions like targeted advertising or even bans.

So, how can we maintain uniqueness within a specific application without the risk of being tracked or barred?

To prevent cross-application tracking and safeguard privacy, Privado ID provides each application context with a unique Context-Based Unique Identifier (CBUID). This CBUID:

• Is cryptographically derived from the Universal Unique Identifier (UUID).
• Remains constant for the same context, which is determined by the application.
• Can be verified to have been generated from a valid (trusted) UUID credential.

The applications for these CBUIDs are endless. For instance, in the realm of concerts, each event acts as a unique context, guaranteeing that a user cannot purchase two tickets for the same concert. Likewise, in eVoting, the identifier changes for each election, ensuring only one vote per election and preventing correlation of voting behaviour across different elections.

See more detail at our developer documentation.

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Additional Enhancements

In addition to the "in-app identity verification" and the "context-based unique identifier," this Release includes numerous other enhancements. Here are two of them, but you can find the complete list in our release notes.

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New Query Operators

Now you will have more possibilities in your queries while using a new set of operators available at our Query Builder:

• NOOP: stands for “No Operator”. It is used to check that you have a certain type of credential without having to check any particular information. A possible application could be that a verifier wants to check that you own an “Employee Credential” from a certain Employer (i.e. Issuer), stating that you worked for that employer.
• EXISTS: to prove that a certain attribute exists. A possible application could be that a verifier wants to check that your “Employee Credential” hasn’t got a “dismissal date” attribute, stating that you weren’t fired from that company. 
• BETWEEN: To prove that a value is between a range.
• NONBETWEEN: to prove that a value is not within a range.
• GTE: Stands for “Greater than or equal to”. This makes it easy to check simples queries like if you are over 18 years old. 
• LTE: Stands for “Lower than or equal to”.

See our developers documentation for more information.

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Support of Custom Networks on Mobile Wallet App

Note: Please note that the current mobile wallet app will continue under the Polygon ID brand and will be supported until the end of the year. In the coming months, we will launch an upgraded version of the mobile wallet app under the new Privado ID brand, featuring numerous improvements, including synchronization with the Web Wallet.

Privado ID, formerly Polygon ID, is compatible with any EVM-compatible chain. Currently, the required smart contracts are deployed on Polygon Testnet (Amoy) and Polygon PoS Mainnet. However, they can also be deployed on any other EVM-compatible chain, including any CDK-based blockchain, in the near future.

With this new version, once the required smart contracts are deployed onto your EVM-compatible protocol, connecting to the Polygon ID mobile application becomes simpler. Just add your chain by configuring the chain settings, and you're all set to go.

This new feature is particularly useful for private environments such as tourism companies, banking unions, and governments, among others, who wish to leverage the Polygon Chain Development Kit (CDK). The CDK is a modular open-source software toolkit that enables companies to launch their own L2 chain on Ethereum.

See our developers documentation for more information.

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What is Next?

Release 7, the first release one under the new Privado ID era, sets the foundation for the development of our future product strategy. This strategy aims to deliver a web2 user experience while simultaneously ensuring ease of implementation for developers.

Your valuable feedback continues to drive our commitment to improvement, and as a result, Privado ID continues to grow the ecosystem, empowering a diverse array of pioneering initiatives.

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Together, we can build an equitable future for all through the mass adoption of Privado ID.