Zero-Knowledge Proof Authentication for Privacy-Preserving Account Generation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing authentication technologies for online systems often compromise user privacy by requiring the disclosure of personal information, leading to security and privacy issues.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented authentication process that allows users to establish anonymous online accounts using pseudonyms, where a digital ID is issued by an identity provider, encrypted, and verified through a zero-knowledge proof, ensuring the user's identity is validated without revealing private information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional authentication methods are used, then user identity can be verified, but user privacy is compromised due to disclosure of personal information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a zero-knowledge proof mechanism as an intermediary that allows the server to verify user identity without directly accessing or storing personal information. The user provides cryptographic proofs that demonstrate knowledge of their identity without disclosing it, thus resolving the contradiction between verification reliability and privacy protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a pseudonymous copy of the user's identity that can be verified without revealing the original personal information. The zero-knowledge proof generates a cryptographic representation of the user's identity that serves as a verifiable copy while the actual personal data remains hidden and protected.
2Loss of information
If multiple pseudonyms are allowed per user, then user anonymity is improved, but system complexity increases due to tracking multiple accounts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary binding of a pseudonym to a user's cryptographic identity before the user can create multiple accounts. By establishing this binding relationship in advance through the zero-knowledge proof process, the system can later detect when a user attempts to create multiple accounts and prevent it, thus maintaining simplicity while preserving anonymity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the server responds to account creation attempts by detecting whether a pseudnym is already associated with the user's cryptographic identity. This feedback loop allows the system to automatically prevent duplicate accounts without requiring complex manual tracking, balancing anonymity with system simplicity.
3Reliability
If strict account verification is performed, then security is improved, but computational resources consumed increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the computationally intensive cryptographic operations from the server and places them on the user's device. The user's computing system performs the zero-knowledge proof calculations locally, which reduces the computational burden on the server while maintaining strong security verification. This extraction of computational tasks resolves the contradiction between security and resource consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
Described implementations obtain credential information including an encrypted digital identity (ID). The encrypted digital ID may include a public component of a credential and identity data. Furthermore, the credential information may include cryptographically obfuscated data based on the identity data and a private component of the credential. A proof is obtained that includes proof data. The proof data may confirm that the credential information was correctly generated. Verification of the proof data, and confirmation that the cryptographically obfuscated data is not associated in a collection of cryptographically obfuscated data, cause a computer-implemented service to issue a pseudonym. The pseudonym is usable to generate a relationship associated with a computer-implemented service.