Build
Digital Trust

to build trust, we must put humans – and the things that are important to them – at the centre of every digital interaction.

What is digital trust?

We increasingly augment and experience our lives through our online digital interactions. Digital trust means that we can feel confident that our online experiences will be what we expect, and no more or less than that.

Yet we’re increasingly fatigued by our online experiences. With no global leadership in digital trust, our privacy is being eroded, our actions captured, and our future behaviours predicted and sold on markets.

Our privacy options are poorly explained and poorly understood. Organisations too are faced with the erosion of customer trust in systems, online services and products.

It’s time to rethink how we all operate.

Digital trust puts humans first

To rebuild this trust, we must put humans – and the things that are important to them – at the centre of every digital interaction. Doing this we ensure people understand and control the information they provide online (and they don’t leave it to ‘digital deities’ like tech giants, banks, and other companies).

We need to empower trusted interactions. We must allow people to easily share only what they need to share, with who they choose, when they choose, and with verification built in.

Trust through many sources

Digital trust demands that all parties - including individuals, governments, and organisations - are mutually committed to earning and maintaining trust. Each party must prove themselves to be considered trustworthy for each transaction and over over time.

Decentralised trust systems are built on the premise that we have many potential sources of trust. Organisations such as governments, banks, education, and healthcare providers can be considered trustworthy sources. People can gain credentials from each these organisations, and share them when needed with others.

We don't need a single source of trust for our digital lives - we need many.

Robust digital trust systems are:

Architecturally decentralised with many potential sources of trust.

Not reliant on a single user ID.

Built on existing trusted relationships and doesn't create unnecessary ones.

Do comply with open, global standards and enable open source software solutions.

Organic and transparent. Our ecosystems evolve organically through visibly governed processes and rules that transcend country and organisational boundaries.

Supporting physical processes, low tech solutions, inclusion and diversity.