Google Cloud and Self collaborate to progress private identity technology
Self, a leading zero-knowledge identity protocol, has formed a strategic partnership with Google Cloud to drive the adoption of privacy-preserving AI infrastructure and Web3 tools among verified human users. This collaboration aims to strengthen identity verification and Sybil resistance essential for decentralized networks.
The partnership will see the integration of Self's zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) technology into Google Cloud's Web3 Portal and Testnet/Mainnet Faucets. This integration will provide enhanced identity verification and fraud prevention through proof-of-humanity mechanisms embedded in blockchain infrastructures, such as the Celo blockchain.
In addition, the collaboration will develop real-time compliance tools using Self's exclusion proofs linked to OFAC sanctions lists, pioneering blockchain-native sanctions screening within decentralized identity systems. This innovation will help ensure that only verified and compliant users can participate in decentralized networks.
Users can expect to maintain full control and ownership of their data with privacy-first selective disclosure enabled by zk-SNARK cryptography. This ensures that no sensitive data is exposed or leaked, not even from protocol developers.
With Self's existing user base of over 8 million verified individuals who use biometric passports or IDs across multiple countries, the partnership brings a broad and verified human user foundation for personalized AI and Web3 innovation.
Google Cloud sees this collaboration as timely and valuable, as it will lower barriers for developers entering the AI-Web3 space by embedding ZKP-based identity verification. This will help foster human-centered decentralization rather than abstract or fraudulent network interactions.
The partnership reflects a broader industry movement towards secure, decentralized identity systems that can scale globally. It builds on previous collaborations between the two companies and marks a significant step towards making private, verifiable digital identity a standard feature of Web3 ecosystems.
Self's architecture ensures that personal information is neither stored externally nor exposed, effectively eliminating the risk of data leaks or unauthorized access. The partnership does not involve the use of specialized biometric hardware.
The collaboration also includes plans to explore linking Self's protocol with emerging AI-powered search tools within the Web3 Portal. Self's co-founders acknowledge that Google's choice to implement Self's SDK for identity solutions further validates its role in shaping the future of privacy-conscious Web3 and AI development.
Self has provided age verification for Google Wallets in the United Kingdom and is involved in privacy-first age assurance compliance efforts across the European Union. The protocol accommodates tens of millions of biometric ID holders in 27 European Union countries, as well as regions including Turkey, Ukraine, Vietnam, Ghana, and Saudi Arabia.
Google Cloud has been running a validator on the Celo blockchain since 2018 and has supported broader ecosystem growth, especially for sustainability-focused projects. This partnership aims to redefine how digital identity and compliance can function within the decentralized internet by combining cryptographic privacy assurances with Google Cloud's cloud infrastructure and developer tools.
In conclusion, this strategic partnership between Self and Google Cloud instantiates a privacy-respecting, scalable identity and compliance infrastructure within Google Cloud’s AI and Web3 ecosystems, empowering developers and users to safely and privately adopt next-generation AI tools and decentralized applications while verifying real human participation.
- The collaboration between Self and Google Cloud will extend to exploring the integration of Self's protocol with artificial-intelligence-powered search tools within the Web3 Portal, marking a step towards fintech innovation.
- The partnership aims to utilize Self's zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) technology to strengthen both identity verification and fraud prevention within the finance industry, while ensuring data-and-cloud-computing security.
- With the integration of Self's technology into Google Cloud's Web3 Portal, the broader industry movement towards secure, decentralized identity systems that can scale globally will continue to evolve, integrating advanced technologies like fintech and artificial-intelligence.
