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Civic Joins Partnership With BlackRock-Backed Telecom Giant to Reach Millions of Mobile Users

October 30, 2018

Civic, a blockchain-based identity verification technology, has announced a new partnership with Rivetz, a decentralized hardware-based cybersecurity firm. Civic joins Rivetz in their partnership with Eleven Paths, the cybersecurity unit of Telefónica, one of the largest telephone operators and mobile network providers in the world. The partnership will offer next-generation, secure-identity verification backed by the blockchain.

Customer-facing telecom giant Telefónica has roughly 270 million prepaid and contract mobile subscribers worldwide, according to data by Statistica. The Madrid-based company, backed by BBVA, CaixaBank and BlackRock, has a presence in 21 countries across Europe and Latin America.

The alliance will focus on security and identity of mobile users. The goal is to use the advanced infrastructure of Rivetz, Eleven Paths and Civic’s user-friendly blockchain tech to provide users with secure digital identities that they can control and manage.

Civic allows users to verify their identity in real time while giving them the power to decide how to share their information. In a world where users’ identities are being exploited and used without permission, the technology prioritizes people and privacy.

Vinny Lingham, CEO and co-founder of Civic, says,

“The ability to prove who you are is a fundamental human need. Our partnership with Rivetz and ElevenPaths is a massive step in putting an uncomplicated digital identity solution in the hands of mobile users, who then call the shots. The concept of identity is rapidly changing, and we look forward to a revolutionary partnership that makes sharing and verifying identity safe and seamless.”

Lingham views the partnership as a “massive step,” adding,

“As identity information is increasingly vulnerable, we’re working with like-minded companies to create the most effective, most secure identity solutions that protect people’s privacy, without requiring their data to be collected and stored.”

Telefónica defined its core mission as a company that promotes “connections in life so people can choose a world of unlimited possibilities” when it launched its slogan “Onlife Telco” in 2015.

It established key values that align with blockchain strategies to empower users, sidestepping the types of privacy issues that are plaguing Facebook and other social media companies that claim people’s personal data as their own.

According to Telefónica,

“We believe that technology is part of everybody’s lives. Nowadays, connectivity is not only for relating with each other, it’s essential for our personal and professional lives.

Our role is to facilitate your enjoyment of the connection, safeguarding the use of your information, and giving you control over your digital life.”

Rivetz will utilize the Trusted Execution Environment (TEE), a hardware built into phones to provide an added layer of security. Telefónica will supplement the technology with its subscriber identity module (SIM), providing an extra layer of protection for private keys in the event that one of the systems is compromised.

Civic will use its technology to store personal information locally on a device, and protect it with biometrics and high-level encryption. This will allow Civic to store users’ information separately from users’ private keys, providing yet another layer of protection.

Steven Sprague, CEO of Rivetz, says,

“We are pleased to have Civic as part of the project to bring blockchain-powered identity verification services to the consumer. The integration of built-in security and digital identity will offer a simple yet powerful new capability for users.”

This is one of several new identity solutions utilizing distributed ledger technology. IOTA recently announced an identity solution using the veins in a person’s palm, while Microsoft announced a blockchain initiative to forge and protect digital identities.

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