IDunion

Ein offenes Ökosystem für vertrauensvolle Identitäten

IDunion

An ecosystem for trusted identities

About IDunion

The aim of the IDunion organisation is to create an open ecosystem for decentralised identity management, which can be used worldwide and is based on European values and regulations. Everyone (including natural as well as legal persons and things) has the possibility to manage their identity information by themselves and to decide when they want to share this information with whom. The sovereignty over one’s own data is tremendously important, especially when it comes to very sensitive and personal information.

Users can choose one of several wallets, which are used for storing and presenting credentials to third parties as required. This is helpful for a wide range of use-cases and enables a new way of identity management. Thus, technology companies are no longer acting as a central identity manager, but the user himself! The user can decide where the information can be seen, which program is used to manage information and with whom this information is shared. We call this concept the self-sovereign identity.

The IDunion network

For the IDunion network, key aspects of implementation are security, cost-effectiveness, user-friendliness and the use of identity data in compliance with current data protection regulations. One of the objectives is to avoid lock-in effects and to always give users a choice. Thus, several providers can be used without creating a dependency on a single provider. This is made possible by the portability of data and compatibility with other international networks. The infrastructure is based on existing technical standards and allows the use of sovereign identities within the European Single Market. The decentralised structure, the self-administration of its identity data, the selective disclosure of data by the user, and the operation of network nodes in Europe, will in particular guarantee and improve the important data protection rights and guidelines of data economy.

Self-sovereign identity

By definition, the user is always at the centre of the self-sovereign identity (SSI) solution. Issuers of identity information can write their public identifier on the network. Verifiers of information can view the publicly readable database to check whether the information
received actually comes from the respective sender or has been verified by a third party. Our solution is equally suitable for natural and legal persons and things (IoT).

Principles of the organisation

Openness:

Throughout the duration of the project cooperation is open to all participants, who abide by the principles applying to all.

Neutrality

No single participant of the ecosystem should dominate the cooperation.

Transparency

Transparent business model, organisational structures, regulations and decision-making channels.

Sovereignty

Users regain sovereignty over their data.
The ecosystem ensures non-discriminatory and legally permissible access to data for all.

Integrity

Secure identification of the actors, authenticity of the information exchanged while maintaining confidentiality.

Coopetition

Inter-institutional cooperation in the development and operation of the technical system; competition in the development of new products and services based on it.

Long-lasting and durable organisation

The IDunion research project will be integrated into the IDunion SCE at the end of the funding period. For more information on the cooperative click here.