Omidyar Network is a global network of innovators, entrepreneurs, technologists, advocates, investors, activists, and organizations committed to addressing the most critical economic, technological, and societal issues of our time. CV Madhukar, who heads up the digital-identity initiative, sat down to discuss the opportunities ahead as the organization builds upon its legacy of stewarding technology to support positive social outcomes; the need for not only “tech for good” but “tech that is good”; and work underway to enable a movement for Good ID.
Can you tell us about Omidyar Network’s outlook on the impacts of tech and society?
Since our founding in 2004, our work has been fueled by Pam and Pierre Omidyar’s longstanding belief in the promise of technology to create opportunity and social good. Even as we continue to be optimistic about the promise of technology, it has become clear that good intentions are not nearly enough and have begun to make a key distinction between “tech for good” and “tech that is good.”
The speed and scale of technological innovation brings opportunities and improvements that shape our economy, our politics, and our communities. At the same time, it can exacerbate inequalities, pose new risks, and raise serious issues about responsibility, accountability, and values.
How is Omidyar Network working to address this challenge?
Take, for example, efforts underway to advance Good ID. The ability to identify ourselves accurately has become essential to our participation in the modern world, whether by using digital IDs or other identifiers. But few people understand how their personal information is being collected and used, or what rights they have to their data.
At Omidyar Network, we believe everyone should be able to engage as much or as little as they like in the digital world — and to do that, people need digital-identity systems they can trust. We are actively working with partners across the public and private sectors to put people at the center of today’s identity systems and advance privacy-enhancing policies, practices, and technologies.
What is Good ID, and how do I know it when I see it?
Good ID is a form of identification that enables individuals to engage fully and fearlessly in the digital world. Omidyar Network defines Good ID as an identity people can trust, one that is useful, equitable, private, and secure. We believe a person’s identity should be treated as a protected asset, controlled by the individual, and safeguarded by law. We have seen firsthand that the positive benefits of digital identity are not guaranteed. Only with careful stewardship can identity programs remain a force for good and not become a means of exclusion, discrimination, surveillance, and control.
Who else is working on these issues?
In just the last year, more than 200 organizations have joined us in calling for more identity safeguards and personal agency to ensure that the identity systems managed by governments and businesses truly empower people and remain a force for good. This includes forward-leaning governments and businesses as well as digital-rights activists, trade associations, humanitarian organizations, academia and think tanks, legal groups, and many others. We’ve worked together to improve the way identity decisions are made; to shift the ownership and control of identity data to the individual; and to strengthen specific policies and technology designs to better protect people’s identities.
We created Good-ID.org as a resource for this community to exchange information and collaborate; we’ve also workshopped some complex challenges in seven tech hubs around the world; and we’ve started to put some of these principles into practice in several African countries that are rapidly embracing the benefits of a digital economy.
Can you talk about other work underway?
While Omidyar Network firmly believes that technology can and should be used for good in our society, we are calling for more oversight on the power of big tech platforms. We are also working to change tech culture and norms by testing, building, and scaling solutions that address the unintended consequences of technology — and help maximize its contributions to a healthy society by catalyzing an industrywide movement.
Are there any bright spots or examples of “tech that is good”?
As more people demand privacy and control over their identity data, a new wave of businesses are rethinking the way their products are designed and brought to market. By investing in these trust-first businesses and technologies, we believe we can disrupt imbalances in the data economy, ready companies to comply with increased regulation, and help people engage in the digital economy on their own terms.
Privacy tech is already beginning to create pathways to Good ID around the world. We recently invested in Cambridge Blockchain to help support a “know your customer” (KYC) platform with privacy-enhancing technology that streamlines identity checks for banks and creates pathways for more people to join the formal economy with control over how their data is used. We also recently invested in Terbium Labs, a data-security firm that helps companies detect when personal data has been breached or trafficked on the internet, including the dark web or social media. Their unique solution enables them to search for breaches without needing access to personal data — allowing both the company and customer data to remain private and secure.
These solutions share one thing in common: They are rooted in privacy-enhancing practices, protections, and designs — or what we like to call #GoodID.
How can other funders get involved?
Now is the time to invest in trust-first technologies and business models that put people’s privacy first. With support from venture capitalists, foundations, and aid agencies, these privacy-enhancing solutions can disrupt the data economy for the better — delivering better outcomes for governments, businesses, and communities alike.
For VCs, this means focusing their capital where the market is headed, not where it’s been. By putting more capital in the market, they can fuel the growth of trust-first businesses and technologies — anticipating customer expectations and setting themselves apart from the competition.
For foundations and other donors, we have a powerful opportunity to put privacy at the top of the global agenda. By supporting privacy-enhancing solutions, we can help communities engage fully and fearlessly in the modern world and help billions of people unlock a trustworthy digital economy that delivers on the promise of the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals.
