Imagine assembling a jigsaw puzzle of a person’s digital life.
Each puzzle piece represents a different identifier associated with an individual, such as an email address, a wallet ID, a Lens handle, etc. The process of creating an identity graph is like fitting these puzzle pieces together to form a unified image of the individual’s online identity. Akin to how a completed jigsaw puzzle provides a clear picture, an identity graph aims to create a comprehensive view of a user’s digital identity.
Not to be confused with social graphs, while identity graphs are centered around individual users and their behaviors across different platforms, social graphs focus on relationships and interactions between users within a network. Both types of graphs provide valuable insights but from different perspectives. In this article, we will dive deep into identity graphs.
What are identity graphs?
Identity graphs are data structures that consolidate user data across multiple identifiers (e.g. email addresses, usernames, Web3 wallet IDs, ENS handles, Lens handles, etc.), to create a holistic view of the user’s online identity. The main goal of an identity graph is to understand the behavior of a single user across multiple channels and touchpoints.
How do Identity Graphs benefit users?
Personalization of User Experience
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Viewed content, product recommendations, or tailored services will be better aligned with the user’s preferences and behavior
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Lesser spam, more relevant content advertising
Seamless Cross-Device Experience
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Identity graphs track users across multiple devices and platforms. Regardless if the user is switching between mobile and desktop, identity graphs will help the user pick up where they left off in a shopping cart, or see consistent and coordinated messaging across devices
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However, some shortfalls of Identity Graphs may include raising privacy concerns due to the amount of personal data they process. Also, the problem of siloed data inflexibility for vertically integrated social media platforms.
Problem with existing Identity Graphs
Data storage
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Traditional social networks store user data in centralized databases, which creates a potential single point of failure and risk of mass data compromise.
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In 2021, social media leaks accounted for 41% of all breached data records, highlighting the security vulnerabilities of these platforms. Such breaches can lead to serious issues like identity theft and fraud, impacting both individual users and their networks.
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Traditional social networks store user data in centralized databases, which creates a potential single point of failure and risk of mass data compromise.
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In 2021, social media leaks accounted for 41% of all breached data records, highlighting the security vulnerabilities of these platforms. Such breaches can lead to serious issues like identity theft and fraud, impacting both individual users and their networks.
Portability
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Data portability is a major issue for users and developers of vertically integrated social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, due to the siloed nature of data on these platforms. Users face hurdles when transitioning between networks, as they have to reestablish connections and followings from scratch.
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For developers, the lack of an open-source identity graph creates obstacles to adding new features or applications.
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However, Web3 social networks, built on blockchain technology, offer a solution with decentralized identity graphs. These facilitate cross-platform data mobility for users and provide a basis for developers to build social dApps.
Need for Decentralization & Portability of Identity Graphs
The portability of identity graphs refers to the ability to use and share these graphs across different platforms and applications, which can only be done via decentralization on blockchains.
Here are some use cases highlighting the importance of portability in identity graphs:
Cross-platform advertising
- Portability lets marketers use one identity graph on many ad platforms, making sure they reach the right people, run their campaigns smoothly, and measure results accurately.
Fraud detection & prevention
- By sharing identity graphs, businesses can better spot and stop suspicious behavior, making their systems for preventing fraud more effective.
Data Enrichment
- Businesses can mix their own data with info from other places using shareable identity graphs. This gives them a deeper understanding, helps them make better decisions, and can be used with tools for data analysis to guide business strategies and make operations better.
Identity Graph Solutions
Next.ID aims to solve this tackle these issues by building an infrastructure layer on the blockchain, allowing users to privately host their data with Virtual Private Servers (VPS), and building a relational service that aggregates all data across Web2 and Web3 platforms
Relation Service — Open Identity Graph To Build Personalized Reputation
Relation Service takes all Web2 and Web3 IDs and aggregates them into a database. Having Next.ID as the DID layer, social dApps may use this database to perform internal functions. As more projects onboard with Next.ID, more data points are collected and the potential of the database is limitless. This service will greatly assist in the portability of identity graphs across multiple platforms.
DID-Based Authentication — Cross-dApp Identity Authentication
Down the pipeline of product updates, Next.ID plans to fabricate a cross-dApp UX which allows the user to connect all his/her identifiers (e.g. wallet ID, Web2 social accounts, etc.) once, and enjoy convenient profile migration to other Web3 dApps. An analogy would be to imagine Next.ID building a backpack (DID-based authentication system) that carries all your books (Web2 & Web3 identifiers). You as a student (user), will be free to carry the backpack to attend different classes (Web3 dApps) at your school.
Universal Profile SDK — All-In-One Access To Your Identity Graph
Next.ID also plans to build an SDK to showcase the user’s profile across the web from a bird’s eye view. Developers may look to use our SDK to build on their projects which involve user profiling (e.g. Gaming, Social, Wallets). Check out Web3.bio to understand how identity aggregation is demonstrated from a front-end perspective.
Read the 2023 roadmap for Next.ID to find out more.
Wish to build with us? Find out more at docs.next.id or contact us at developer@next.id. Follow us on Twitter: @NextDotID