Today ID2020 announced Facebook is its latest member. ID2020 is a global public private partnership founded by Gavi, The Rockerfeller Foundation, Accenture, Microsoft and IDEO with other high profile members such as Mastercard and Mercy Corps. Key goals include ensuring that individuals control their own digital identities, that IDs are privacy-preserving and interoperable.
“We welcome partners that commit in earnest to upholding the values and principles outlined in the ID2020 Manifesto and that share our mission to improve lives through ‘good’ digital ID,” said ID2020 executive director Dakota Gruener. “We could not be more pleased to welcome Facebook to our rapidly growing community.” Facebook’s brands include WhatsApp and Instagram and it has 2.9 billion active monthly users.
COVID-19 has brought digital identity solutions to the fore with the need to share test or vaccine data but a desire to retain privacy. ID2020 created the Good Health Pass Collaborative of more than 125 organizations to help the solutions to interoperate.
One of the challenges is that numerous health pass solutions were developed, but interoperability was not always a key driver, making it hard work for airlines and those that have to verify numerous different health passes. In June, the Good Health Pass Collaborative released a draft blueprint for credential interoperability and the final document earlier this month.
Meanwhile, Facebook is readying to launch its blockchain wallet Novi. The payments blockchain network it founded, Diem (formerly Libra) is still awaiting regulatory approval.
