Gemalto taps R3’s Corda for blockchain-based digital ID solution

Digital security company Gemalto has announced a new blockchain-based solution that aims to put users in control of their digital identities.

The company has built a new digital identity solution – called Trust ID Network – in collaboration with enterprise software firm R3. The solution will enable users to control whom they share their personal data with – and when.

The Trust ID Network is deployed on Corda, R3’s distributed ledger platform.

"Empowering customers to manage and control their own digital identity based on blockchain technology is nothing short of revolutionary and we're very pleased to be collaborating with Gemalto on the Trust ID Network," said David E. Rutter, CEO of R3. "The Corda platform's unique privacy features offer the ideal basis for a secure, easy-to-deploy decentralized ID management platform."

The solution will help users create and manage their own 'Self-Sovereign' Digital ID, enabling them to enroll with a host of different digital banking, eCommerce and eGovernment services, without the need to go through repeated due diligence processes for each of them. For service providers, it would help simplify customer identity management and streamline the due diligence process while enabling end users to be in complete control of their identity.

The user control is facilitated via the ID Wallet mobile app, where they can add personal data to their digital identity, have it certified, and give consent to share it with chosen service providers. Blockchain technology is used to store only the 'attestations' issued by trusted parties, while personal data remains under the sole control of users, Gemalto said.

"Trust ID Network solves the profound weaknesses of traditional, 'siloed' identity frameworks: the clumsy user experience, rising costs and difficulties in complying with stricter regulations. It's the perfect illustration of Gemalto's ability to combine proven Digital Identity solutions and new technologies such as the blockchain," said Bertrand Knopf, EVP Banking & Payment for Gemalto. "Financial institutions are best-placed to lead this self-sovereign identity revolution, but it will prove similarly attractive to a wide array of other service providers."