In 2019, there will be a shift from trying to digitise identity to creating digital identities underpinned by relationships, according to David Birch, a leading financial services commentator. In an article for Wired, he forecast that a digital proxy for reputation will become the cornerstone of online life and the basis for interaction between individuals and organisations.

“In my Twitter feed, for example, I will only want to see items posted by real people with a reputation above 100,” Birch wrote. “In my house, I will want the alarm system to recognise only members of my family and their cars. Online, I will only share my data with organisations that I have a relationship with. I will give my financial-services bot permission to talk to registered financial institutions on my behalf, but only those with a reputation among my friends.” He believes a relationship-based identity system would be far less vulnerable to hacking and fraud than the password-based system in use today.

However, making this concept work would require a universal system that enables people, bots and things to easily exchange verified information. To protect privacy, as well as security, Birch envisions an identity system that enables these entities to prove a specific attribute, such as they represent a particular organisation or are over 18, without revealing their actual identity.

For more details, please see the article in Wired.