Re: Verifiable Credentials over Wireless (NFC and Bluetooth)

Actually (apologies for this email-overload) I realize I should have checked my last email before sending because it is outdated since iOS 18.1. With iOS 18.1, there is the new NFC and SE Platform (NFCSEP), with API’s actually allowing interaction with the eSE as well. ‘Opening up’ remains relatively ambiguous term though, since for each application you will need to submit a use case and business case for Apple to grant you the required NFCSEP capabilities. For now, these are available only in limited regions only (not EU yet).
Bests,
Caspar

From: Caspar Roelofs (Gimly) <caspar@gimly.io>
Date: Thursday, 19 September 2024 at 10:33
To: Manu Sporny <msporny@digitalbazaar.com>, W3C Credentials CG <public-credentials@w3.org>
Subject: Re: Verifiable Credentials over Wireless (NFC and Bluetooth)
Btw, I am saying slowly, bc Apple ‘opening up’ as of now still presents highly limited use of NFC host card emulation outside the eSE and that requires internet to call the HCE server and lacks express mode. So we’re not there yet by any means.

From: Caspar Roelofs (Gimly) <caspar@gimly.io>
Date: Thursday, 19 September 2024 at 09:45
To: Manu Sporny <msporny@digitalbazaar.com>, W3C Credentials CG <public-credentials@w3.org>
Subject: Re: Verifiable Credentials over Wireless (NFC and Bluetooth)
Hey Manu,
This is great! Happy to see that the early work at Gimly and our lengthy discussions on our shared vision on Tap to ID is gaining wider traction and this step towards standardization is huge. This, together with Apple slowly opening up the NFC capabilities, means that our dream of a more secure and user friendly digital ID experience in the physical world just might become reality sooner than later.

Looking forward to further collaboration and developments on this!
Bests,
Caspar

From: Manu Sporny <msporny@digitalbazaar.com>
Date: Tuesday, 17 September 2024 at 14:02
To: W3C Credentials CG <public-credentials@w3.org>
Subject: Verifiable Credentials over Wireless (NFC and Bluetooth)
As the adoption rate of verifiable credentials increases (TruAge, US
Federal Government Agencies, European Digital Identity, US State
Government Agencies), and as some of the use cases move from purely
online flows to in person, it would be useful if we were able to
transmit VCs in more high-security, in-person scenarios, such as via
short range wireless (NFC and Bluetooth).

We're excited to announce the Verifiable Credentials Over Wireless
specification that does just that:

https://digitalbazaar.github.io/vc-wireless/

There is a use cases section that goes over some of the target use
cases such as:

* NFC presentation of things like legacy public transit passes
(putting "things that are not VCs into VCs and doing something useful
with them"),

* Compressing and sending a VC over NFC in less time than it takes to
tap a credit card,

* Performing a VC API workflow over NFC or Bluetooth, and

* Upgrading from optical or NFC to Bluetooth, local Wifi, or a wide
area mobile network connection. There are protocol examples in the
specification to show each of the use cases above.

We've also got a demo video of the specification in action available here:

https://youtu.be/hSG-J0LFqfk

We will be integrating the functionality into the VC Playground in the
coming weeks.

We do expect to make a call for adoption as a CCG work item at some
point in the future. More to come after W3C TPAC, but until then,
happy to answer any questions, concerns, or comments people might
have.

-- manu

--
Manu Sporny - https://www.linkedin.com/in/manusporny/
Founder/CEO - Digital Bazaar, Inc.
https://www.digitalbazaar.com/