Authentication

To make PoP credentials useful it needs to be hard to transfer credentials to someone else (e.g. bots) and for them to use the credentials to prevent fraud. This is especially important to protect individuals who may be unaware of the consequences of selling their credentials. This challenge is inherent in identity systems as a whole. Authentication can prevent fraudsters from using credentials, even if the respective user is unaware or attempts to collaborate with the fraudster.

When issuing PoP credentials, issuers only need to validate that someone is indeed a unique person. Beyond that, no additional personal information is required. However, each PoP credential needs to be uniquely tied to a specific person. Even if credentials are not transferable, wallets and phones can be transferred. Therefore, for high-integrity use cases, it is crucial to authenticate the user as the rightful owner of the PoP credential. This prevents the unauthorized use of credentials. A similar approach is followed during e.g. airline boarding, where an airline gate assistant verifies both the possession of a valid travel document and the consistency of the individual's identity with the document.