The national initiative known as Blockchain-based Service Network (BSN) launches RealDID, a blockchain-based platform for the identification of Chinese citizens.
The Blockchain-based Service Network (BSN) has stated its intention to use blockchain technology to verify the real identity of China’s 1.4 billion inhabitants. The goal will be achieved through the new blockchain-based platform RealDID, developed under the supervision of the Chinese Ministry of Public Security, which has collaborated with BSN.
RealDID and personal data security
According to the promoters of the initiative, the RealDID service will offer users the opportunity to register and access websites anonymously, using DID addresses and private keys. This mode will ensure that business information and transactions are separate from personal data.
According to BSN, this is the first national-level decentralized identity system ever implemented worldwide. BSN China is managed by China’s National Information Center in collaboration with telecommunications company China Mobile and finance company China UnionPay. Global operations, on the other hand, are independently conducted by BSN Global.
The role of social media
In the previous October, the six main social media platforms in China, including WeChat, Sina Weibo, Douyin, Kuaishou, Bilibili and Xiaohongshu, asked content creators with a following of over 500,000 or 1 million users to publicly display their real names or those of their financial backers.
Tensions with the United States
Recently, a bipartisan bill was proposed in the United States, which envisages a ban on U.S. federal government officials from using Chinese-made blockchain and conducting transactions with other companies such as iFinex, the parent company of Tether. This proposal arises from a desire to prepare for potential risks to national security and protect private data from access by foreign competitors.
