Self-Sovereign Identity: What it is and what it is not

Abstract

The talk offers a conceptual analysis of Self-Sovereign Identity, clarifying its founding principles and distinguishing what actually characterises this model of digital identity from mistaken readings and misuses of the term. It discusses central concepts such as holder control, decentralisation, portability, the use of verifiable credentials and the separation between identification, authentication and authorisation. It also addresses the technical, institutional and regulatory limits of SSI, stressing that using a blockchain or a digital wallet is not by itself enough to make a system self-sovereign. The contribution is to mature the debate by proposing objective criteria for assessing SSI solutions, reinforcing the importance of governance, institutional trust and alignment with legal and social requirements.