Is Self Sovereign Identity FAIR?

The FAIR principles are guidelines aimed at making data more “Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable.” These principles serve as a foundational framework for good data management and stewardship, particularly in the realm of scientific research but also increasingly in other sectors. Let’s break down each of these principles in detail:

Findable

1. F1: Metadata and data should be easy to find for both humans and computers.

• Why?: If data isn’t easily findable, it’s as if it doesn’t exist. Both metadata (data about the data) and the data itself should be easy to find for anyone needing to use it.
• How?: Unique identifiers like DOIs (Digital Object Identifiers) can make data easily searchable and findable.

Accessible

1. A1: Metadata and data should be accessible once found, and their access mechanisms should be clearly defined.

• Why?: Data that can’t be accessed has no value. Clear access mechanisms mean that once data is found, it can actually be used.
• How?: Data repositories often provide APIs or other access methods, and these should be well-documented.

Interoperable

1. I1: Metadata and data should be interoperable to allow intermixing with other data sets.

• Why?: In today’s interconnected world, data from different sources often needs to be combined to get the full picture. Interoperability ensures that this is possible.
• How?: Using common standards for data formats, terminologies, and identifiers can help.

Reusable

1. R1: Metadata and data should be reusable, meaning they can be used in future research and applications, possibly in a different context.

• Why?: Reusability ensures that data can have a life beyond its original purpose, maximizing its value.
• How?: Clear licensing and provenance information can help here, as can following community standards for data quality and documentation.

Is SSI FAIR ?

Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) and the FAIR principles share some common ground, especially when it comes to data management, accessibility, and privacy. Let’s explore the relevance of FAIR principles to SSI in detail:

Findable

1. Unique Identifiers: Both SSI and FAIR principles emphasize the importance of unique identifiers. In SSI, decentralized identifiers (DIDs) serve this purpose, allowing for a self-sovereign form of identity that can be easily located but controlled by the individual. This aligns with FAIR’s emphasis on making data findable through unique identifiers like DOIs.

Accessible

1. Controlled Access: SSI gives individuals control over their own identity data, deciding who has access to what and when. This aligns with the FAIR principle of making data accessible but within clearly defined access mechanisms. In both cases, the goal is to make data accessible to those who should have access to it, while maintaining security and privacy.

Interoperable

1. Standardization: SSI often relies on standardized formats and protocols to ensure that identity data can be used across different platforms and services. This is similar to the FAIR principle of interoperability, which encourages the use of common standards to make data compatible with various systems.

Reusable

1. Data Portability: One of the key features of SSI is that your identity is portable; you can use it across multiple services without relying on a central authority. This is akin to the FAIR principle of reusability, which aims to make data useful beyond its original context.

Data Privacy and Ethics

• User Control: Both FAIR and SSI are geared towards ethical data management. In the case of SSI, the focus is on giving individuals control over their identity data. FAIR principles, while broader, aim for responsible data stewardship, which can include respecting user privacy.