ID-Service: A Blockchain-Based Platform to Support Digital-Identity-Aware Service Accountability

Accountability refers to the need of individuals or organizations to account for their activities, accept responsibility, and disclose results in a transparent manner. Nowadays, the pervasivity of digital systems is making increasingly critical security, reliability, and trustworthiness of such services. When a service is delivered by involving different (eventually conflicting) parties, accountability could be achieved by including in digital transactions a trusted third party (TTP). Blockchain decentralizes trust, thus avoiding to rely on a single TTP. However, to deal with accountability in concrete solutions, the issue of securely integrating digital identity and Blockchain should be solved. The paper describes the results of a three-year research project merging academic and industrial expertise, to design and implement a Blockchain-based platform for service accountability integrating eIDAS-compliant Public Digital Identity. The platform has been used in several real-life contexts made available by industrial project partners, which demonstrated the effectiveness and novelty of the solution.

Automated summary

Accountability requires individuals or organizations to be responsible, transparent, and trustworthy in digital transactions, with blockchain technology offering a decentralized solution that eliminates the need for a single trusted third party. The integration of digital identity and blockchain is crucial for achieving accountability in concrete solutions. The results of a three-year research project demonstrate the effectiveness and innovation of a blockchain-based platform for service accountability integrating eIDAS-compliant Public Digital Identity.