IBM has announced the availability of Identity Mixer, a tool to protect a consumer’s personally identifiable data, on its Bluemix cloud platform.
The tool, which uses algorithms, helps in reducing identity theft due to sharing personal data on mobile and web apps.
It will enable developers to build apps that can authenticate users’ identities without collecting personal information.
Using Identity Mixer, the app can verify the authenticity of the user’s claims of being above a certain age and having a subscription.
The tool removes the security burden from third-party developers. Companies will no longer have to beconcerned about protecting customer data because no other personally identifiable data is exchanged.
Scientists at IBM’s research facilities in Zurich, Switzerland, built the tool, which authenticates users by asking them to provide a public key.
Every user has a single secret key which corresponds with several public keys, or identities. IBM said a user will receive a different public key for each transaction with no privacy breadcrumbs.
IBM launched the Bluemix platform in 2014 with a $1bn investment. It offers over 120 tools and services of other open source technologies from third parties.
