Sfera

Sfera – Removing barriers, empowering people

Currently, governments and organisations own the digital identities of the people that use their services. Centralised databases pose a security risk, not to mention the low integrity of stored data, and the limited control that individuals have in regards to how it is stored.

Existence without access is meaningless and that is why we’re excited to introduce Sfera.

The Sfera app enables people to be truly self-sovereign – the ability to organise and own their digital identities no matter where they are. Sphere Identity offers a global solution by delivering easy access to personal data, that is reinforced by privacy and security. We are pleased to contribute and open source the Sfera Android app for the Mission Billion Challenge.

We rigorously adhere to global privacy and data protection laws and have implemented sophisticated technology across all our systems. For Sfera users, the likelihood of their personal data being misused, tampered with or unintentionally disclosed is substantially minimised.

For many, this will be the first step to having their identity acknowledged. Our Global ID Score™ algorithmically values a collection of digital identity documents, including non-government issued ones. For some, uploading any document that identifies them, e.g., an immunisation book or bills, will be the start of building their digital identity.

The Sfera app is global and not only works anywhere, with or without mobile coverage, but it enables people to manage international identities as well. It is also a recoverable tool to empower people in times of crisis, such as forced immigration and persecution.

We believe that technology should serve people and provide them with the necessary rights and freedoms.

1. Self-Sovereign Identity is at the heart of every decision we make. It empowers the people who use Sfera, by giving them control over who has access to their data. It also benefits the organisations that they interact with.

2. Privacy and security by design, including End-to-End Encryption: Our unique encryption implementation uses a combination of Symmetric and Asymmetric Encryption to safeguard tampering.

3. Consent management: Our solution retains Consent Receipts for every piece of information that a user shares, with the ability to revoke consent whenever the user decides.

Sfera embodies the 7 Principles of Privacy by Design –

1. Proactive, Not Reactive; Preventative, Not Remedial

Data privacy and security are fundamental requirements, both in product design and subsequent lifecycle stages.

2. Privacy as the Default Setting

Sfera’s privacy features are not optional.

3. Privacy Embedded into Design

Sfera’s architecture is grounded in privacy.

4. Full Functionality – Positive-Sum, Not Zero-Sum

Sfera’s adoption will be driven by its privacy protection. Majority of its privacy features are managed by the system, so the user has to do as little as possible to maintain a high level of privacy-by-default.

5. End-to-End Security – Full Lifecycle Protection

The Encryption Keys and the Optical Character Recognition (OCR) functionality are managed entirely on an individual’s mobile device, mitigating the risk of data leakage.

6. Visibility and Transparency – Keep It Open

Sfera’s privacy policy and consent management functionality ensure that the user not only controls all sharing of their information, but also has a record of it.

7. Respect for User Privacy – Keep It User-Centric

Sfera is self-sovereign, meaning, users control their identity.

We are also particularly proud of our compliance with the GDPR and the APEC’s Cross Border Privacy Rules (CBPR).

People can use the Sfera app to share their identity documents with any digital identification (DI) system, both in the digital and physical world. It can be easily done through the messaging channels on their phone. This provides easy interaction with other DI systems. The app may assist a person in registering with another DI system, including an identity registry.

Information from DI systems can be added to the Sfera app and will boost an individual’s Global ID Score™. It will also provide them with additional verified documents for sharing and gaining access to various services and products.

As the app is global, it facilitates the use of documents or records from one DI system in one country for use in another. This benefits those that live near borders, and those who have moved or will have to move countries.

Sfera's degree of interoperability means that it can play a role in identity ecosystems, in conjunction with other DI systems.

Technical Standards: For Sfera to be interoperable with other identity platforms, we’ve ensured compliance with relevant international technical standards, including security, privacy and consent.

Sfera’s app users are guided through a simple and intuitive UX/UI. They add their identity documents once by taking a photo and they are then ready to share them.

It's also ideal for people with low literacy levels – our OCR technology removes the need for typing, thereby reducing data errors and saving time. It helps individuals avoid expenditure for printing, copying and shipping their physical documents.

Not only does our app make the storing and sharing of digital identity seamless, it is also recoverable at no extra cost to the individual, if their phone is lost or stolen.

The Sfera app is interoperable with online and physical environments where a person has to identify themselves. In a physical setting, the person can show the organisation e.g., a health service or school, the identity documents stored in the app.

In a digital setting, the documents can be shared using the messaging functions on the phone. The documents are also available for upload, for instance, onto a website.

Sphere Identity has applied a range of international standards to ensure high levels of interoperability.

Our solution is built to work offline when needed. When a connection is not available, information is cached on the person's phone and later updated when one has been established. Personal data is encrypted on the mobile device and is never transmitted unencrypted.

To support low literacy, the Sfera app’s UX/UI is designed to be simple and intuitive, assisting people to navigate the app easily. Our proprietary OCR technology removes the need for typing and the result is clean, reliable personal data. Future improvements to the UI are in works, including the replacement of text with icons.

With Sfera, people anywhere can have quick and easy access to their digital identity attributes and documents. We envision that this will accelerate economic participation and access to services such as education and healthcare. The Global ID Score™ will help those without traditional identities to create one. In emergencies, the app and its user’s information can be retrieved, even if the phone is lost.

Sfera’s adoption will be driven by education programs, word-of-mouth and a series of local implementation projects – giving those without a digital identity an ideal start, enabling those with vulnerable identities to become more resilient.

Sphere Identity is an active member of the Kantara Initiative. We have contributed to consent receipt standards and developed the 3 Party Consent Receipt. This allows us to acknowledge data sharing between users and businesses via our platform.

We are a founding member of Digital Identity New Zealand. This is the industry and government group working on the design of New Zealand’s digital identity ecosystem.

Sphere Identity is also an IAPPS Silver Corporate member. As members, we have easy access to relevant information and resources, enabling us to stay on top of data privacy and risk management.

Sphere Identity has a talented and diverse team who have designed and built our innovative platform and solutions.

We are led by our CEO, Katherine Noall, a seasoned technology leader, blockchain lecturer at RMIT University and a third-time selection for 'The Top 100 Influencers in Identity'. We look to leverage her expertise, experience and networks.

The Sfera app is ready for release. We also plan to recruit local partners to assist with implementation and training.

The Sfera app will be available free to download (Android) and there are no running costs for usage. Ongoing app development will be done via an open source project by a community of developers. Sphere Identity will contribute to that project, in addition to open-sourcing the Sfera app.

App distribution and training:

Project funding is required for;

• Local implementation – This includes training of local representatives and/or partners.
• Localisation – The Sfera app is currently available in English and has localisation enabled. App localisation and documentation are required for local implementation.

Licensing:

If successful in the Mission Billion Challenge, Sphere Identity would invest the prize money in open-sourcing the Sfera app under a Mozilla Public Licence 2.0 and for further improvements to usability for those with low literacy.

Link to Sphere Identity’s other products and revenue model

Sphere Identity’s commercial business application is a potential solution for organisations looking to use Sfera to onboard their customers, and save them the burden of typing. This is outside the scope of the Mission Billion Challenge, but a revenue source for Sphere Identity, which would fund our ongoing contribution to the Sfera project.

Sphere Identity exists to provide privacy, security and access for individuals everywhere. Our mission has always been to empower people to become truly self-sovereign – to safely create, own and organise their digital identity. 

By participating in the Million Billion Challenge, we hope to distribute safer identity software to more people, specifically those that we may not be able to reach through our commercial efforts. We also hope to raise awareness of individual digital security and reduce the misuse of personal data.

In improving the Sfera app for low literacy users, we envisage improving high-security usability and access.

• Smartphones penetration rates and mobile network access and coverage – mobile company sponsorship may provide a solution.

• Partnerships with governments and organisations are required for mass adoption and long term success. These can be established for each implementation project.

• Low literacy levels – localisation and making app content easier to understand by replacing text with icons and narration.

• Limited user experience with high levels of security – train users on protecting their online security, including how to store their security words for app retrieval.