Affinidi Disrupts the Status Quo with Its Holistic Identity Approach

In an age where there is a perennial debate on how we intersect data and privacy and protect the rights of the individual and organization, companies like Affinidi are focussing on empowering individuals and businesses with control over their data while maintaining privacy and security.

In an exclusive interview with CIOL, Glenn Gore, CEO of Affinidi, gives a deep dive into how Affinidi is on a mission to reimagine data ownership. He discusses how individuals can become true custodians of their digital identity. Here are some key excerpts from the conversation.

Affinidi champions the idea of giving individuals control over their data. How does the company balance user privacy with the growing demands for data sharing?

Trust is fundamental to digital interactions, yet it has been steadily eroding. Nearly 30% of customers are concerned about their personal information being shared across multiple companies without their consent, with little understanding of how it’s used. This erosion is further exacerbated by the current data landscape, which continues to rely on third-party data. Such exchanges often lack consent, leaving individuals unaware of how their personal data is being collected, shared, or exploited—alongside first- and second-party data as well.

Here is where we come in. Affinidi is challenging the status quo by introducing Holistic Identity (HI), an approach that enables individuals to reclaim control over their data. HI operates on consent-first principles, powering a new wave of identity and data management solutions. With HI, individuals can selectively share personal information with businesses based on their interests and desired value, establishing transparent and mutually beneficial relationships founded upon trust.

How does HI work? 

Central to HI is the Affinidi Trust Network (ATN), a suite of solutions designed to safeguard personal data with a consent-first framework, built on open standards and privacy-by-design principles when it comes to data and identity management.

ATN enables users to store their data locally on their own devices, rather than on service providers' platforms, requiring businesses to seek explicit permission to access this data, reversing the traditional flow of information. This ensures that individuals retain full control and ownership of their personal information -  promoting a greater level of respect for user privacy and fostering trust and transparency in the digital ecosystem.

Holistic Identity solutions treat the user’s digital identity as a fully controlled and self-assertive aspect of the user’s personality. How does this approach change the current/existing methods and what are the challenges?

Holistic Identity (HI) solutions fundamentally change the current data management systems by putting control back into the hands of the individual.  It ushers in:

Greater User Control: Unlike today’s systems where the custodians of our personal information are the platform owners themselves, ATN solutions (such as the Affinidi Vault, a personal data store, combined with the Affinidi Iota Framework, a consent-first framework) enable individuals to have full control over their data. HI data management solutions will have brands request access to users’ data instead. Users decide who has access, when, and for what in this new era of data management.  

Single Source of Truth: Currently, a user’s identity is fragmented across various platforms, each platform holding different pieces of personal data. HI consolidates these fragments into a central, unified, personal data store, serving as the hub for all personal data. This eliminates the need for repetitive data input across platforms, streamlining user experience and reducing data fragmentation.

However, challenges to this revolutionary approach exist, such as:

Privacy vs. ease of free-to-use services: It is particularly challenging to persuade individuals to choose privacy over the ease of free services.  We often see personal data being so easily given up, particularly within the ‘walled gardens’ of established players in the digital landscape.

Businesses to give up data control: Businesses must be ready to release control over their current customer data, something they have grown accustomed to. This means changing their approach and strategy when handling customer’s data.  

Adoption by service providers: Businesses and platforms must trust and integrate user-controlled systems. The challenge lies in getting buy-in, which requires a shift from the traditional data ownership model and ultimately overhauling current data storage systems, where companies currently hold user information directly in centralized data servers.

So, achieving true success with HI requires collaboration across society. Businesses, service providers, governments, and users must align to ensure the smooth integration of HI solutions, to foster a more equitable digital economy built on trust and transparency.

Affinidi pitches on self-sovereign identity (SSI) solutions. How do you see this framework transforming industries like healthcare, finance, and other verticals as we move ahead, and what stage of maturity we are in right now?

Affinidi’s HI vision shares core principles with Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI), such as decentralization, privacy, and user control. However, it extends beyond SSI by offering a more comprehensive and integrated identity experience that encompasses all aspects of a person’s digital existence. 

Unlike SSI, which primarily addresses decentralized identity, HI integrates verified data from diverse sources—such as financial records, educational qualifications, employment history, and health data—creating a cohesive and unified representation of an individual. This addresses data fragmentation and supports interoperability across platforms, trust-based interactions, and seamless onboarding, all aligned with modern digital experiences.

For example, in healthcare, patients can manage their records, insurance, and vaccination status through verifiable credentials, enabling secure access to medical services across providers. Health records become portable, allowing access during emergencies or abroad, ensuring timely care. 

The technology is gaining traction across industries like healthcare and finance.

How do you solve the problem of protecting user data and at the same time meet the increasing needs for sharing of information in the sectors of ​healthcare or finance?

Our Iota Framework, built on permission-first principles, ensures that all access requests go to the user for consent. This enables the use of advanced techniques like Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKP), where only necessary information is validated, minimizing the exposure of Personally Identifiable Information (PII). This approach is particularly beneficial in sectors like healthcare and finance, where privacy is critical.

For instance, in healthcare, the Affinidi Vault allows users to selectively share medical information, ensuring accurate care while maintaining privacy.  In finance, it enables secure management and sharing of financial data, streamlining processes like loan applications. Users can verify their eligibility by applying a bank's criteria to their data within the Affinidi Vault, sharing only the required credentials if they qualify, thereby preventing unnecessary data exposure.

Affinidi has collaborated​ ​with companies like Gro Club and Aasabie. Can you share more about the impact these collaborations have had?

We have been working with visionary brands Gro Club, Aasabie, and Rozhub Naturals, who share our mission of creating enhanced user experiences and have begun their Holistic Identity journey through the initial integration of Affinidi Login on their respective platforms to offer their customers a secure and seamless onboarding experience. 

How are you addressing the challenge of user adoption, especially when it comes to educating consumers and businesses on the benefits of decentralized identity solutions?

With increasing data breaches and growing consumer concerns about privacy, there is a rising demand for transparency in data practices. According to IDC, by 2025, around 50% of consumers will base their decisions on a brand's transparency and privacy policies.

We address user adoption by prioritizing education and awareness about decentralized identity and the benefits of data ownership reversal. We focus on educating consumers and developers about their rights and how to navigate decentralized systems, while also working closely with businesses to promote the integration of solutions like Holistic Identity through partnerships.

What can we expect in terms of new products and your India plans?

We are already expanding the Affinidi Trust Network (ATN) with exciting new products such as Affinidi Messaging, which enables secure cross-platform communication between sender and receiver. We are also advancing developments around Verifiable Credentials, exploring how they can further elevate the data-value chain.

Additionally, the release of Affinidi Concierge—a cutting-edge AI tool—is transforming the user data interaction experience. It securely compiles, synthesizes, and analyses data stored in the Affinidi Vault, offering personalized insights based on each user’s unique values and preferences. Acting as an intelligent assistant, Affinidi Concierge ensures data protection while maximizing the potential of this data to provide precise and valuable insights, enhancing decision-making and enriching digital experiences.

We remain committed to strengthening our presence in India through these initiatives, especially as data privacy concerns continue to grow. By educating businesses, developers, and consumers on the benefits of our vision of Holistic Identity, we believe our innovations will strongly resonate with the Indian market, allowing us to contribute meaningfully to the evolving data privacy landscape.