Telegram Passport - Identification on the Blockchain

Telegram is testing a new service for storing data for identification. Telegram Passport should make it possible to store personal data such as ID numbers, bank details and the like on the TON platform.

The fact that blockchain technology has long been used not only to manage cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, many will now be clear. The management of health data, government documents, elections or data of the shipping industry is possible with the blockchain - in principle, anything that can be managed in any way, you can also save on the blockchain. So also identity documents and other personal data. And that makes sense: The decentralized administration of such sensitive information would not only make it counterfeit-proof. Rather, it also makes it easier, faster and cheaper to identify. From the big pile of paper that is saved, not to mention. The messaging service from Russia wants to face this task now. With his planned Telegram Open Network (TON) not only the messaging services on the Blockchain will run in the future, but also identification processes.

Just recently, the company announced that they have already raised enough money in the pre-sale to the Telegram Open Network. The amount of money collected by private investors alone was enough to make sure that no public sale was needed anymore.

As can be seen from Russian media, Telegram now uses this money, among other things, to use the new service for storing identity data. The application should be called Telegram Passport and be part of TON. Since one should be able to buy goods and services with the currency Gram on the platform, one must be able to identify oneself for it. So that one does not have to be present at the office every time, the team around founder Pawel Durov plans the Telegram Passport.

Users can upload their personal data and documents such as copies of ID documents, drivers licenses, electricity bills, bank information and possibly photos. Once they are on the platform, they can be shared with Telegram Passport within the Telegram Open Network. But even outside of TON this should be possible. Only with the respective consent of the owner, of course.

Telegram Passport meets regulatory requirements

Over the past weeks and months, the Telegram team has repeatedly encountered problems with the authorities. The Russian government in particular expressed concerns about the anonymity and associated danger of illegal activities. With the planned identification system, the team wants to hedge.

That evidently also arouses the interest of possible partner companies. According to sources, the Russian service provider Qiwi has already registered a possible cooperation.

Ultimately, control of the data should be left to the users alone. In line with Blockchain, they can authenticate their data themselves and release it at their own discretion. The data is then made visible to potential business partners or companies and thus verifiable.

There is no exact release date yet. The push of Telegram is again to be considered as an important step towards the adaptation of the Blockchain technology.