# Has our SSI Ecosystem Become Morally Bankrupt? --- ## Introduction - I'm Christopher Allen, author of the foundational 10 Principles of Self-Sovereign Identity - These principles defined our ecosystem and set SSI apart. --- ## A Critical Challenge for SSI - Has SSI lost its moral compass in the pursuit of mainstream adoption? - Response to claims like “SSI didn’t work” and a call to examine a deeper issue: - Have we sacrificed the principles that make SSI truly self-sovereign? --- ## Global Authoritarian Threats - The world is increasingly threatened by authoritarianism: - Russia, China: expansion through intimidation. - Europe: Growing authoritarianism (Hungary, Italy, Netherlands). - Refugees and stateless people increase yearly. --- ## Closer to Home - Texas AG’s request for DMV records on name changes — state-enabled discrimination. - What could become permissible with further political shifts? --- ## SSI’s Original Mission - SSI was intended as a shield against these encroachments. - A system where **people, not institutions**, control identity without fear of coercion. --- ## Compromises on Core Principles - **Weakened Specifications**: Adoption of watered-down standards like DID:web compromises independence and resilience. - **Data Minimization Failure**: We have not been enforcing data minimization for businesses **and** governments - **Over-Identification**: We’ve not stopped over-identification. --- ## Misguided Threat Prioritization - Focus on “Four Horsemen” (piracy, crime, child pornography, terrorism). - But the real risk is the unchecked rise of tyranny — posing far greater harm to those most vulnerable. --- ## Consequences of Compromise - These compromises weaken SSI’s unique value: - Centralized standards from Apple, Google, and governments are gaining ground. - SSI is faltering, not just from market forces, but from abandoning decentralization and privacy. --- ## The Essential Question - It’s not just whether SSI has “worked” in the market. - **Have we stayed true to our ethical foundation** and the vision that set us apart? --- ## Closing Reflection - A call to the SSI community: - Are we upholding the vision we set out to achieve? - Or have we become indistinguishable from the systems we set out to disrupt?