A project from identity verification company Privado ID and age estimation provider Privately has been selected for the third cohort of the European Blockchain Sandbox dialogues.

The duo will focus on age verification through self-sovereign identity (SSI). The age assurance tool is designed to avoid disclosing sensitive personal information such as date of birth or national identification numbers by leveraging zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) and verifiable credentials (VCs).

Privado ID plans to use the Sandbox to test the Billions framework. The identity verification protocol was launched in February to compete with World ID, Civic and others in the proof-of-personhood (PoP) space and allow users to prove their humanity.

As a European Commission initiative, the European Blockchain Sandbox aims to engage with regulators on innovative use cases involving Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLT). The sandbox is running from 2023 to 2026 and supports 20 projects each year, including public sector use cases on the European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (EBSI).

Among the recent projects that have been selected is one use case of the EBSI, which will participate in the lot for public entities, and 19 additional use cases that cover a wide range of industries and regulatory areas.

Privado ID and Privately announced the age assurance solution in November last year.

The product could be used by online platforms with age-restricted content such as gaming, alcohol sales, or pornography, according to the companies. The proof of age would be generated through an identity wallet and rely on-device AI technology to provide age estimation without personal data leaving the device.

Aside from respecting user privacy, the solution would also reduce data sharing and ensure interoperability across borders, allowing access for all EU users.

The use case focuses on compliance with GDPR, particularly regarding data minimization, user consent and secure data handling. It also aligns with the European Digital Identity Framework and will seek regulatory guidance on using decentralized identifiers for cross-border services.

Article Topics

age verification  |  Billions Network  |  European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (EBSI)  |  Privado ID  |  Privately  |  self-sovereign identity  |  verifiable credentials