World Identity Network
Blockchain for Humanity: Turning Invisible Children into Invincible Ones
Over the past year, the World Identity Network has been advocating around the world on the importance of secure, self-sovereign identity.
Together with our partners from civil society, the private sector, academia, and United Nations agencies, we’ve been designing programs that help fight human trafficking, modern slavery, exploitation, and all forms of exclusion. In our approach, we leverage Blockchain for Humanity.
Learn MoreWorld Identity Network Helps Fight Child Trafficking with Blockchain for Humanity
A Refugee with a Lost Identity
Tey knew who he was. But with the destruction of his records of his birth certificate and ID he couldn’t prove any of it.
Learn More
Child Marriage and Exploitation
Pregnant at 11. Forced to marry a man she hardly knew. Three children by age 16. That could have been Memory Banda's life.
Learn More
Persecution based on Cultural Identity
When she was only 18, Wai Wai Nu was arrested and sentenced to 17 years in a Burmese prison for being the daughter of…
Learn More
Fashion Industry Success and Exploitation
As the fashion industry seeks to enforce age limits, a resilient, non-forgeable proof of identity prevents unscrupulous agents from passing underage girls off as…
Learn More
Using Orphans for Profit
Orphanages are often run as a business, and the main product is exploited children.
Learn More
Hidden Slaves
There are more slaves in the world now than there ever have been before, but we rarely see them. They remain invisible.
Learn MoreThe Cost of Lacking Identity
Turning Invisible Children into Invincible Ones
Drawing on original research and resources, this report reframes the challenges for identifying and protecting children as a result of the migration crisis in the Middle East and Europe.
Download our
latest research
Download
Blockchain Identity
01
Information is validated and structured in the form of blocks, which then constitute a chain – the blockchain – a distributed, record-keeping, immutable ledger. Because of its distributed structure, it is virtually impossible to break into the entire system and alter or forge the records.
02
Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is never stored on the chain: it is only the assertions or the verifiable claims made about the person. This multi-source identity is built through trustworthy attestations about relationships established over time.
03
Using blockchain to help prevent human trafficking: the system is able to record every exit with a minor - attempted at the border by an adult who’s not in the circle of trust - whose attestations do not match.
04
Blockchain’s immutable record signifies that the information on the attempted exit can’t be deleted or altered by anyone and law enforcement and/or civil society can act upon this evidence.
Our Work
Our aim is to ensure that everyone can prove who they are, while maintaining control over their identity data. Our work focuses on more than a billion people without a recognized proof of ID – more than half of them are children.
