Digital Identity with ZKP: Identity Authentication Without Revealing Your Face

ZKP - Ảnh 1. — One operation is enough to authenticate correct ownership.

In the digital world , to prove that they are "real", people almost always have to trade off their privacy. From ID numbers, birth dates, faces to biometric data, all are required to be provided, stored and shared among countless service platforms. That helps authenticate users, but also makes personal data a "gold mine" that can be easily leaked at any time.

In an era where privacy is a concern for millions of users, a new technology is gradually proving its role: Zero-Knowledge Proof (ZKP), also known as non-disclosure proof. Instead of "giving information to be believed", users only need to prove the truth without revealing the real data behind it.

Prove without saying everything

ZKP is a cryptographic technique that allows one party to prove that they possess correct information without revealing that information. It sounds abstract, but it is very close to what is happening in digital life.

When you log into a bank account with your face or fingerprint, the device does not send a real image to the server, but only generates a code that proves "I am the account owner". The original data does not leave the phone, only the "proof" is sent and checked. It is this difference between "sharing data" and "proving the truth" that opens up a whole new approach to privacy in the digital age.

Worldwide, ZKPs have gone beyond the laboratory to become the security foundation of many modern blockchain systems.

Protocols like zk-SNARKs and zk-STARKs are being implemented in Zcash, Polygon, and Mina Protocol, helping users verify ownership of digital assets without revealing their identity.

For example, in finance, users can prove that their account has enough balance without revealing the exact number. In blockchain, they can confirm ownership of a wallet without sharing the private key.

ZKPs are also increasingly seen as a "trust factor" in electronic voting, healthcare , and commerce, where individuals can prove their eligibility (such as age, income, or insurance status) without having to submit all their personal documents.

Many people were confused when their citizen identification data was sold for only a few hundred dong. When trust is eroded, people will be more cautious about giving information to any platform. ZKP helps people regain data sovereignty : information returns to its rightful owners.

In Vietnam, electronic identification through VNeID and the Population Database are laying the foundation for digital government. However, the direct sharing of data between agencies and businesses still poses a risk of leakage. Integrating ZKP can help build a model of "responsible private identification", where citizens are authenticated while still controlling their personal information, protecting users while reducing burdens and risks for businesses.

Let ZKP really "take off"

ZKP opens up a promising prospect, but for widespread application, two factors need to go hand in hand: a strong enough technological infrastructure and a clear legal corridor.

In terms of technology, creating and verifying "non-disclosure proofs" requires high computing power and optimization on the terminal. Vietnam needs to invest more heavily in infrastructure, security and human resources specializing in applied cryptography.

Legally, the recognition of “digital evidence” as a valid form of authentication would be a major milestone. Only when recognized in the legal system can ZKP become an official tool in governance, finance, education or healthcare.

Personal data has become a “strategic resource”, privacy should not be the price of trust. Zero-Knowledge Proof offers a more humane approach: authentication without revealing your face, participation without surveillance, recognition without anonymity.

If digital identity is the gateway to the digital citizenship era, then ZKPs may be the key that helps us step through safely, intelligently, and freely.

SINGLE INTELLIGENCE

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/dinh-danh-so-voi-zkp-xac-thuc-danh-tinh-ma-khong-can-lo-mat-20251024125024614.htm