Credentials - The Container for Personal Data

In this third part of our series on the universal model for personal data exchange, we examine credentials —the container for the data being transferred over the rails. We’re going to dive deep into the technical details and absolutely nerd out, but this article is written to be accessible to a broad audience of tech-savvy readers, helping them form a clearer picture of what these credential formats look like. You can find the previous installations of this series here:

Laying the Rails for Personal Data Exchange

In our previous article, we introduced a framework designed to underpin the secure and efficient exchange of personal data. At its core, this framework relies on three fundamental components: rails, credentials, and trust. These elements work together to ensure that personal data can be shared in a manner that is both secure, has a wide reach and provides opportunities for all parties involved. In this article we take a look at the foundation of the framework, the rails.

Towards a Universal Model for Personal Data Exchange

Digital services thrive on personal data. They need it to function. In some cases, they are even required to verify it, usually for compliance or risk management. However, beyond necessity, certain companies have built their business models around collecting, hoarding and monetising personal data, often without users fully understanding the trade-offs. The core issue is that we lack a robust framework for managing and exchanging personal data. Existing methods come with limitations, and while improvements are possible, we must prioritise good user experience (UX) to ensure widespread adoption.