eiuniform

Eiuniform is a standardized framework for encoding and exchanging identity-related data across distributed systems. It provides a uniform data model for identity attributes, consent, and authorization decisions, with an emphasis on interoperability and privacy-preserving capabilities. The framework is designed to be implementation-agnostic, allowing organizations to issue, request, and verify identity claims in a consistent manner.

Origin and development: EiUniform emerged from the Ei-Identity Initiative, a collaborative effort started in 2019 by a consortium of academic and industry partners. Version 1.0 was published in 2020, with major updates in 2022 and 2023 that added privacy-preserving features and a formal consent policy language.

Architecture: Core components include identity schemas that define allowed attributes, a claim exchange protocol, a consent management layer, and a cryptographic verification layer for signing and verification. Data is encoded in a JSON-based format with optional JSON-LD linkage to support semantic interoperability.

Applications and features: EiUniform is used for cross-domain authentication, cloud access control, healthcare information exchange, and government e-services. It supports portable identities, auditable consent, and policy-driven attribute release. It also supports privacy-preserving techniques such as selective disclosure and cryptographic attestations.

Reception and limitations: Several organizations have piloted EiUniform to improve interoperability, but critics cite complexity, performance overhead, and potential privacy risks if misconfigured. It competes with other identity standards like Verifiable Credentials but positions itself as a modular, enterprise-friendly approach.

See also: Verifiable credentials, Decentralized identifiers, Identity management.