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Credentials App FAQ
This FAQ provides answers to basic questions about Credentials App.
Please reach out to contact@credentials.app for more queries.
Q: What is Credentials App? What do I do here?
Credentials App is a self-sovereign identity project with a focus on privacy, it’s super-fast, simple and free.
You can use Credentials App on your iOS/Android device where you can verify your identity with third party apps and websites while preserving your privacy.
Q: How does Credentials App work?
With Credentials App, you can scan your passport and similar identity documents (ID card, driving license..) that have a contactless RFID chip inside. The contactless chip contains reliable personal information about you, including your full name, birthdate and nationality. This information has been provided by your issuing country, and will be used for third party verification by Credentials App. All is done completely offline.
We don't have any server, thus not storing a single byte data.
Q: What are your core values?
Our core values are privacy, authenticability and accountability. We combine the latest technologies to process your information in a privacy-centric, yet accountable way without compromising on authenticity.
Q: How does Credentials App ensure authenticity?
The contactless chip in your identity document is standardised as part of Doc 9303, Machine Readable Travel Documents, by the International Civil Aviation Organization (part of the United Nations). The information on the chip is digitally signed by the issuing country and has protection against cloning. Credentials App provides the complex cryptography that is needed to verify the authenticity of information on the chip, thus providing a smart and simple way to verify the authenticity of the identity.
Q: How does Credentials App preserve my privacy?
Credentials App propose a unique way to obscure sensitive information while verifying your identity.
This is made possible with zero-knowledge proofs. This allows you to have complete control of your personal information without having to reveal it to third parties. With zero-knowledge proofs, we have a prover, who is the individual user, and a verifier, who is the third party that needs to verify an individual’s identity. In this case, all the prover needs to show a verifier is the value of X, without showing the actual information. All this requires is a proof of knowledge to verify that the individual is who they claim to be. This is a form of digital fingerprint that can prove an individual’s identity. The validity of the proof lies in using a cryptographic hash function that proves without a doubt that the identity is valid.
Q: How does Credentials App verify the digital signature inside chip?
The authenticity of a document can only be established if the document is (ultimately) signed using a private key of which the corresponding certificate is known. These root certificates are called Country Signer Certificate Authority (CSCA) certificates. Although the CSCA certificates are public, there is not one single public source for CSCA certificates. Credentials App integrates several existing sources of CSCA certificates and is able to integrate with non-public sources depending on your situation.
Q: Is Credentials App a blockchain/DLT project?
No, not really. Credentials App is a purely cryptography project. It works without internet connection and not interacts with any blockchain network.
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