How a decentralized identity and verifiable credentials can streamline both public and private processes

Digital identity forms the cornerstone of everything that individuals do in the digital world. There is a genuine need for a sustainable technology and processes that give users control over their data and allow trusted interactions. In a decentralized identity ecosystem, citizens can easily prove their identity and share authoritative data with third parties. Furthermore, they can keep track of what information is shared with whom and at any time can deny third parties’ access to personal information. Microsoft applied this concept to a high-impact public sector use case in the region of Flanders in Belgium. The pilot ‘starting a business in Flanders’ showed that the use of decentralized identity technology lowered the burden for citizens and raised their trust in the government.