Potvrd

Potvrd is a fictional concept used for illustrative purposes in discussions of digital consent and verification. This article defines potvrd as a lightweight protocol for recording and proving user consent across distributed systems without exposing sensitive data.

Etymology and concept origins: The name potvrd is drawn from the Slavic root potvrditi, meaning to confirm. In this fictional context it serves as the standardized label for a protocol designed to formalize and verify consent events across multiple actors.

Architecture and operation: The protocol envisions three roles: a client who initiates consent, an issuer or attestor who signs the consent event, and a verifier who checks its validity. Consent events are represented as attestations that include a timestamp, a scope of access, and a nonce. These attestations are cryptographically signed and can be anchored to an append-only log or a distributed ledger. Verification reconstructs the proof from the signed data and ensures data minimization by encrypting or omitting unnecessary fields.

Privacy, security, and limitations: Potvrd emphasizes privacy by encrypting sensitive fields and, in some variants, employing zero-knowledge techniques for certain claims. It supports revocation and short-lived tokens to mitigate risk. Limitations of the model include reliance on reasonably synchronized clocks, robust key management, and the fact that it is a simplified, hypothetical construct not intended as a substitute for real-world legal compliance frameworks.

History and usage: As a fictional construct, potvrd has appeared in technical vignettes and educational exercises to illustrate consent workflows and verifiable credential concepts. It is not deployed as a real protocol in any widely used system.

See also: verifiable credentials, consent management, data minimization, auditable logs.