Jack Dorsey’s ‘Web5’ is an answer to an issue that’s already been solved

Web3 thrives on its skill to offer each transparency and anonymity, however merging the 2 has been a seemingly arduous process — notably with regards to securing private information. 

Jack Dorsey — the cofounder and former CEO of Twitter — believes he’s discovered an answer to the issue within the type of Web5, his newly introduced decentralized data and identity platform leveraging Bitcoin. But whereas Dorsey unveils designs for a brand new decentralized internet utilizing the Bitcoin community, different blockchain applied sciences have moved far past the conceptual stage.  

Delving deeper into Web5

While considerably complicated, the identify of Dorsey’s proposal really implies a literal mixture of Web2 and Web3 options as in “two plus three equals five” — thus “Web5” was coined. Seeking to behave because the ‘extra decentralized web’ equal, Web5 proposes to place management again in customers’ fingers and grant them autonomy over their digital information and identification. 

In essence, the three important pillars of Web5 are decentralized identifiers, verifiable credentials and decentralized internet nodes — which, frankly, sounds much like current trendy blockchain applied sciences. Dorsey’s rationale for Web5 is that whereas the present web democratized the alternate of knowledge, it’s nonetheless lacking an integral part — the reclamation of private identification.

Currently, private information is usually secured by way of accounts and passwords, and it’s been this fashion for fairly some time. In this mannequin, identification and private information are primarily the property of third events, similar to massive tech corporations. Historically, this technique has been fraught with points, whether or not that be huge data leaks, illicit exchanges of consumer data, or the overall lack of management for the top consumer.

What Web5 makes an attempt to result in is decentralized identification and information storage for web purposes. It guarantees builders can give attention to creating significant consumer experiences whereas returning the possession of private info to people. While self-sovereign identification and information possession are important sides of the decentralized internet — this already exists. 

Web3 identities are already right here

The Internet Computer (ICP) blockchain launched its genesis block on May 10, 2021, and has been designed to make a totally functioning decentralized web a actuality. By onboarding web sites, DeFi, social media, video games, and metaverse tasks totally on-chain, operating at trendy internet speeds, ICP strives to blur the strains between blockchain and the web and create an interoperable future. Yet, amongst this technique lies what’s in any other case often called “Internet Identity,” abbreviated merely to II.

II permits customers to anonymously authenticate their credentials to decentralized purposes (dApps) operating on ICP utilizing their private gadgets. To obtain this, the nameless authentication framework combines Web Authentication (WebAuthn), a two-factor authentication customary of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) that’s supported by the vast majority of trendy gadgets, and Chain Key cryptography — a breakthrough in trendy cryptography that may permit ICP to run thousands and thousands of nodes at scale. 

One of probably the most notable facets of the chain is that it permits any system to confirm the authenticity of artifacts generated by ICP, together with smartwatches and cell phones. Compatible authentication strategies embody conventional Hardware Security Modules (HSM) — USB gadgets that plug into a private laptop and handle keys — and any cellular system with a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chip frequent in trendy laptops and telephones. 

This signifies that, for instance, anybody can authenticate themselves when accessing dApps by merely utilizing the fingerprint sensor on their laptop computer or the digital camera on their cellphone. The system supplies a frictionless login expertise that also maintains privateness. Thanks to the Chain Key cryptography working behind the scenes, customers can’t be linked throughout dApps and usually are not prone to having any of their information collected, scraped or hacked at any level. 

Tomorrow’s web, right now

The prospects listed here are infinite, however one of many first apparent advantages is that customers can be free to anonymously work together with the net with out concern of being tracked. Secondly, you additionally gained’t have to maintain monitor of dozens of accounts and passwords or cryptographic key materials.

Even higher, customers can have a single key that confirms who they’re to the blockchain whereas creating a limiteless quantity of “pseudonym” IIs that may every be distinctive to a particular service. So, from the consumer aspect, it should look like only one identification, however providers will every see a unique “name” hooked up to it. This eliminates the flexibility for account info to be correlated throughout a number of platforms, additional preserving privateness.

Users can have a unique II for social media, monetary exercise, buying, gaming or anything. Users also can create a number of types of backup for such an identification, making certain they will retain entry even when a tool they had been logged in on ought to get misplaced, broken or stolen. This opens up a world the place anybody can acquire entry to their checking account or office with a easy facial scan, however it will likely be achieved in a manner the place the consumer controls all information, that means they will’t be arbitrarily tracked.  

So whereas Dorsey’s Web5 appears to place the management again in customers’ fingers, it could take some time for its merchandise to take type. Fortunately, Internet Identity already has Web3 coated. 

Josh Drake is the chief working officer at DFINITY Foundation.