BrightID – proof of digital uniqueness

“On the internet, nobody knows you’re a dog.”

There is also no way to prove that you are a unique human with only one account on any given platform.

We need a way for any digital application to confirm that each user is unique and controls only one account. BrightID is creating an open-source, decentralized, global network to prove unique digital identity. BrightID verification can be used to prove uniqueness on any integrated system without users giving up any personal information.

Opportunities include:

• Distributing universal basic income
• Digital democratic voting
• Improving polling, rating, and reviews
• Reducing bots on social media
• Sharing anything equitably

Today there is no way to share something equitably to all people. BrightID would enable everyone on earth to receive their fair share of an opportunity while protecting against people exploiting the system and claiming more than their fair share.

The world needs a way to prove unique digital identity.

Today there is no entity or network on earth that can provide it.

Proving verification of digital uniqueness is an essential foundational step for building an equitable digital world. Everyone should be able to prove to any system that they are a unique user deserving of whatever that system wishes to offer.

Solving many of society’s grandest challenges will require massively scalable digital systems. In order to have effective digital solutions, we need to have a reliable verification of digital uniqueness.

Without digital uniqueness too many systems can be manipulated by ill-intentioned actors.

With BrightID we have a path toward fair and democratic online voting and polling. We can make online reviews and ratings more reliable and trustworthy. Fair distribution of truly Universal Basic Income becomes possible. We can also improve discourse on social media by cleaning out millions of bots.

Providing everyone with a provably unique digital identity will improve all of these and create many more opportunities for humanity.

Our goal is to create a network that welcomes and is useful to every one of the 7.7 billion people on earth.

We are thinking big. BrightID is a platform that opens the way for initiatives that need a unique identity component. These solutions, such as a global dividend and reimagined democracy, will be beneficial to all people.

We have been talking with 40 potential partners about how best to serve their users. We continually collect feedback from 700 beta users and improve our reference mobile app in response.

Identity is a social problem that will require a social solution.

BrightID is building a global open-source social graph that can be analyzed to determine which users in the system are real unique people, and which ones may be fake or duplicate accounts.

The goal is that all people can efficiently obtain a single account, but that getting more than one account per person is ever-increasingly difficult.

We do this with an open-source, decentralized, permissionless system owned by no one and available to everyone. It is meant to be a base-level protocol for humanity. (A common technical framework like TCP/IP that all of us can utilize together to address this communal problem.) 

The system is structured in three layers: base layer, verifications, applications.

Base Layer
The core of the system consists of the raw connection data created by users and a mechanism for the decentralized group of nodes to share this data among each other in order to come to consensus on the raw data set.

Verifications
Each node on the network analyzes the consensus connection dataset to determine which users on the system it believes are controlled by a unique human.

NodeOne is the first node operating on the BrightID network. It uses an innovative open-source GroupSybilRank algorithm to analyze the social graph connection data and share the results with the world. All aspects of its analysis, methodology and results are open-source and freely reviewable.

Other nodes on the network are welcome to use NodeOne’s analysis tools as-is, tweak the tools in any way, or build and use any other tools they like to analyze the social graph dataset.

Each node may arrive at different conclusions after analyzing the underlying consensus dataset. Each node can choose how or if they would like to share the results of their analysis.

Applications
Any application that wants to verify that a user is a real human with just one account can utilize a BrightID verification. Applications are always welcome to query NodeOne. Instead or in addition, they may also choose to run their own node or query any number of other nodes on the network. It’s up to each application to choose what verification standards they require and from which nodes they will gather information.

Nodes that prove over time to be most accurate will be relied upon for analysis.

Your college can attest that you graduated, the post office can attest to your address, and the RMV can attest to your birthdate.

But there is no entity on earth that can attest to your being a unique human with exactly one account.

This problem itself is innovative. Most people do not even realize this is a problem that needs to be solved, but it is. And as society continues to become ever more digitized, solutions to this problem will become essential.

The BrightID protocol is entirely open-source, broadly decentralized, self-sovereign, and permissionless. It aims to be a foundational network for humanity to collectively verify the digital uniqueness of every human on earth.

Our network solution has no central party to trust, requires no biometric information, and is endlessly adaptable as both attack and defense mechanisms are developed.

Countless services share the problem of determining one account per person. The BrightID network allows everyone to use a common thread to vastly improve the accuracy of that determination, easily share it across purposes, and protect the user from giving away any more personal information than necessary.

BrightID uses mobile phone technology to enable broad worldwide participation. Currently users utilize a smartphone app for all core functionality including making connections to other users.

Once connections are made, nodes on the system will come to consensus on the state of all connection data. Each node will analyze the graph with whatever methods they like, though the initial reference NodeOne uses a newly-designed algorithm called GroupSybilRank. We expect other nodes to use and create a wide range of other analysis tools including machine learning, human-computer partnership, and social network integration.

While BrightID itself is not a blockchain, it was designed to integrate easily with them. We have already built out an Ethereum integration that allows a BrightID verification to be linked to an Ethereum address. We anticipate creating many more integrations with other blockchains in the future.

There are large social networks that could address the problem of unique identity, but they aren’t sufficiently motivated to do so. They often receive payments from advertisers based on user interactions, so limiting users to one account would reduce the advertising revenue from fake users.

In addition to not being motivated to solve the problem, existing networks collect personal data from users and aren’t transparent about how they are used.

We are creating a network that is available to be reused by any application and collects as little personal data as possible.

We have run simulations on models of social networks that show that graph analysis is effective in differentiating between honest users and sybils. This will be tested further on the graph of actual BrightID users as it grows. We’re committed to continually improving the anti-sybil graph analysis methods with input from different verifiers in our open framework.

Our initial beta test has 700 users. We have used it to gather real-world information about how people interact with the system. We haven’t pushed for wide adoption because having BrightID verification at this early point is not yet useful for anything.

In the coming months we will be partnering with projects that are excited to use BrightID to prove the uniqueness of their users. We will be serving 100,000 users in a year and one billion users in five years.

BrightID is a network designed for global participation. It is is an online network available to anyone, anywhere in the world, with the technology to access it. All of the populations mentioned above would be equally served, to the (ever-increasing) extent that they have access to mobile technology.

In the next year, BrightID will be integrated with Aragon, DollarForEveryone, Manna, GoodDollar and SwiftDemand and have 100,000 users receiving UBI cryptocurrencies and participating in digital governance.

At the same time, BrightID will pursue integrations and launch pilot programs with applications with millions of users each. After five years and the success of these pilot programs, the network will be serving one billion users and working with initiatives to bring access to the rest of the world’s population.

We need to raise enough money to support a development team that can work on BrightID’s open-source base layer and also with partners that need to implement our technology. We need to grow our team from part-time, volunteer developers to 10 full-time developers. We need other staff to assist with business development, marketing and contracts.

We are partnering with organizations that need our technology and are willing to help see us through the development of the open-source base layer and progress to integrating it with their services.

We will operate a for-profit business building second-layer integration solutions that can be licensed to generate recurring revenue. These include integrating with platforms already used by business partners, such as existing social networks and blockchains.

We are participating in the formation of a new non-profit (Hedge for Humanity) that has a mandate to support the development and maintenance of an open-source unique identity solution as a part of its greater mission to distribute a social dividend to all of humanity.

We have created a potential crowdfunding solution (BIO and UNIQ tokens) that raises funds for the BrightID base layer and stimulates the growth of the network through the sale of ethereum-based asset tokens. The solution is being tested and will be launched later this year.

1 full time contractor (communications)

5 part time contractors (software development)

1 full time volunteer (Director)

10 part-time volunteers

Our team combines industry and academic experience in distributed systems, social network theory, user experience, and mobile application design. 
Meet the team.

We are participating in the formation of a new non-profit (Hedge for Humanity) that has a mandate to support the development and maintenance of an open-source unique identity solution as a part of its greater mission to distribute a social dividend to all of humanity. 

We are in talks with dozens of other organizations that are interested in using our network if we can prove the technology can work and scale as we believe it can.

BrightID’s customers are businesses that want to keep fake and duplicate accounts out of their systems for the benefit of their users. Businesses are willing to spend $1 per user per year to verify that their users are unique.

The beneficiaries are the end users of applications that provide universal dividends (such as basic income), empower users through voting, and improve systems by keeping out fake and duplicate users.

The open source base layer of BrightID will be supported by licensing second-layer tools that make integrations easier for businesses.

The people and organizations involved with SOLVE are the perfect sort of thinkers and doers that can make the BrightID dream come alive.

We believe deeply in every one of SOLVE’s core values and want to work with people who think this way.

Optimism – We know that if adopted widely this technology will be transformative for the world.

Partnership – BrightID is creating a common framework that allows people and organizations all over the world to work together. We are seeking to partner with as broad a coalition as possible.

Open Innovation – Everything we are building is open source, accessible anywhere, and we welcome contributions from every corner of the globe.

Human-Centered – The core of BrightID and what makes it possible is the real life connections between humans. We are facing a social problem and believe we need a social solution.

Inclusive – Every person on earth is welcome in the BrightID community. The broader our global reach, the stronger the system becomes. We are striving to overcome every barrier in the way of full inclusion.

We are looking for a wide range of partners within the Solve community. 

Existing business who need to verify their users as unique. We’re looking to run pilot programs with businesses with one million or more users. An example is Bumble, a dating and networking app. Bumble prioritizes kindness and respect and would use BrightID to enforce bans on abusive users.

Entrepreneurs who can see the immense possibilities created by BrightID and want to build new businesses utilizing the BrightID network.

Incubation leaders to help us discover ways to scale our business and develop our strategy for licensing second-layer solutions.

Legal experts who can help us craft our organization in optimal and legally compliant ways.

Developers who want to help us build and improve our technology.

Communicators who can help us craft our compelling story and spread the word about BrightID throughout the world.

Funding from the AI Innovations Prize would be used to build the foundational tools to create a worldwide proof of digital uniqueness. Countless technology systems would be improved or made possible if we can solve the one-account-per-person problem and curb the impact of bots.

We are proud of the developments we have made in Sybil detection with our GroupSybilRank algorithm, but know that many more iterations, improvements, and new ideas will be necessary in order to remain ahead of attacks against the network. This prize would help fund the development of advanced computing methods to further improve Sybil detection in social networks.

Funding from the GM Prize would enable BrightID to unlock important benefits for underrepresented community members that are held back by the lack of a unique identity solution.

BrightID will enable any digital application to verify that each user is unique and controls only one account, which can then be used to prove uniqueness on any integrated system without users giving up any personal information. This solution fosters equity and mobility for marginalized populations. Verification of uniqueness can be used for equitable distribution of rights and resources, such as distribution of universal basic income or digital democratic voting. It also protects individuals from being subjected to explicit or implicit biases that may be brought to bear on the interpretation of personal information such as race, gender, national origin, etc. 

Today there is no way to share something equitably to all people. BrightID would enable everyone on earth to receive their fair share of an opportunity while protecting against people who might attempt to exploit the system and claim more than their fair share. The enhancement of equity will be most beneficial for underrepresented and vulnerable populations.

This prize will be used to further advance the development of BrightID and accelerate the timeline on which it can become widely available to potential partners and platforms.

Philip Silva of BrightID recently gave a TEDx talk on Universal Basic Income as a practical solution to eliminating poverty. BrightID is a foundational technology for a digitally distributed Universal Basic Income. A digital UBI can cross political boundaries to have a greater reach and cheaper implementation than what is possible through governments. By supporting BrightID, you are making digital UBI possible. Many participants in the the OpenUBI movement are interested in integrating BrightID, as are social impact funding organizations like https://alice.si/. In many cases, proving digital uniqueness is the biggest roadblock to success for these organizations.

BrightID will enable any digital application to verify that each user is unique and controls only one account, which can then be used to prove uniqueness on any integrated system without users giving up any personal information. This solution fosters equity and mobility for marginalized populations. Verification of uniqueness can be used for equitable distribution of rights and resources, such as distribution of universal basic income or digital democratic voting. It also protects individuals from being subjected to explicit or implicit biases that may be brought to bear on the interpretation of personal information such as race, gender, national origin, etc. 

Funding from the Morgridge Family Foundation would help BrightID in its mission to bring a unique identity solution to the world.

BrightID will enable any digital application to verify that each user is unique and controls only one account, which can then be used to prove uniqueness on any integrated system without users giving up any personal information. This solution fosters equity and mobility for marginalized populations because verification of uniqueness can be used for equitable distribution of rights and resources, such as distribution of universal basic income or digital democratic voting. It also protects individuals from being subjected to explicit or implicit biases that may be brought to bear on the interpretation of personal information such as race, gender, national origin, etc. 

Today there is no way to share something equitably to all people. BrightID would enable everyone on earth to receive their fair share of an opportunity while protecting against people who might attempt to exploit the system and claim more than their fair share. The enhancement of equity will be most beneficial for underrepresented and vulnerable populations. 

This prize will be used to further advance the development of BrightID and accelerate the timeline on which it can become widely available to potential partners and platforms.

Philip Silva of BrightID recently gave a TEDx talk on Universal Basic Income as a practical solution to eliminating poverty. BrightID is a foundational technology for a digitally distributed Universal Basic Income. A digital UBI can cross political boundaries to have a greater reach and cheaper implementation than what is possible through governments. By supporting BrightID, you are making digital UBI possible. Many participants in the the OpenUBI movement are interested in integrating BrightID, as are social impact funding organizations like https://alice.si/. In many cases, proving digital uniqueness is the biggest roadblock to success for these organizations.