FABid

Fabid is a digital identity framework intended to enable individuals to authenticate and prove attributes to online services without revealing unnecessary data. It integrates with W3C standards for decentralized identifiers and verifiable credentials, and uses privacy-preserving techniques such as zero-knowledge proofs and selective disclosure. The design emphasizes user control, portability of credentials, and revocation mechanisms, allowing credentials to be issued by trusted authorities and presented to service providers in a privacy-preserving way.

Historically, the concept emerged in the early 2020s through academic research and private-sector experimentation with self-sovereign identity. Various pilots tested Fabid in education, healthcare, and government services, evaluating interoperability and user experience.

Technically, Fabid defines a credential ecosystem consisting of issuers, holders, and verifiers. Issuers attest claims in verifiable credentials. Holders store attestations in portable wallets and present proofs to verifiers using cryptographic proofs that reveal only necessary information. Verification checks ensure authenticity and revocation status.

Applications include online logins, access control, travel, and professional credentials. Benefits include reduced data sharing, improved privacy, and cross-domain compatibility. Criticisms focus on onboarding complexity, reliance on digital wallet ecosystems, and governance of issuers.

See also: digital identity, verifiable credentials, decentralized identifiers, zero-knowledge proof.