The city of Buenos Aires has unveiled a digital identity service, QuarkID, which utilizes zero-knowledge proofs to fortify residents' privacy. This service has been integrated into the city's miBA app, a seven-year-old platform that provides access to municipal services and documents.
The primary objective is to empower the 3.6 million residents of Buenos Aires with greater control over their personal information. By leveraging zero-knowledge proofs, users can verify the authenticity of a document without disclosing unnecessary information. For instance, residents can use the app to confirm their age for purchasing alcohol without revealing their address or full birthdate. According to Diego Fernandez, the secretary of innovation and digital transformation, the goal was to create a self-sovereign identity system, ensuring citizens have privacy and security over their documents.
The QuarkID system operates on the Ethereum layer-2 network ZKsync Era, which serves as a security anchor, proving the existence of data at a particular point in time. Over 60 types of documents, including birth certificates and vaccination data, can be uploaded to the app, with more to be added in the coming months. The municipality of Buenos Aires and third parties have no control over these documents, reducing the risk of hacking and identity theft.
Neither the government nor QuarkID can track the usage of these credentials. The service is free for users and offers reduced costs for the government compared to traditional methods. The experiment is set to expand beyond Buenos Aires, with pilots underway in various Argentinian regions and other Latin American countries, including Uruguay.