This white paper is presented by the Ethics Working Group of the uNLock Consortium This white paper presents findings of the Ethics Working Group, from the conceptual phase of investigation into the ethical issues of the uNLock solution, providing identity management solutions for sharing and presentation of medical COVID-19 credentials (test results) in the context of healthcare institutions. We have provided an outline of direct and indirect stakeholders for the uNLock solution and mapped values, benefits, and harms to the respective stakeholders. The resulting conceptual framework has allowed us to lay down key norms and principles of Self Sovereign Identity (SSI) in the specific context of uNLock solution. We hope that adherence to these norms and principles could serve as a groundwork for anticipatory mitigation of moral risk and hazards stemming from the implementation of uNLock solution and similar solutions. Our findings suggest that even early stage of conceptual investigation in the framework of Value Sensitive Design (VSD), reveals numerous ethical issues. The proposed implementation of the uNLock app in the healthcare context did not proceed further than prototype stage, thus our investigation was limited to the conceptual stage, and did not involve the practical implementation of VSD method involving translation of norms and values into engineering requirements. Nevertheless, our findings suggest that the implementation of VSD method in this context is a promising approach that helps to identify moral conflicts and risks at a very early stage of technological development of SSI solutions. Furthermore, we would like to stress that in the light of our findings it became painfully obvious that hasty implementation of medical credentials system without thorough ethical assessment, risks creating more ethical issues rather than addressing existing ones.
This paper aims to address the research gap in ethical design frameworks for self-sovereign identity (SSI) solutions. We present a case study of value sensitive design (VSD) conceptual investigation applied in the context of SSI-based solutions for the sharing of medical credentials uNLock. We evaluate the applicability and quality of VSD application on the basis of 5 criteria. We validate these findings by comparing the results of the original report with the studies presenting empirically informed insights from the deployment of SSI solutions for the presentation of medical credentials. We identify a problem of “value branching” particular to SSI solutions that can lead to the overinflation of the set of relevant values. We outline the affordances and limitations of the conceptual VSD investigation in our case study. We further reflect on the limits of general SSI principles and argue that the ethical design of SSI solutions always requires context-specific evaluative frameworks.
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Purpose: The main purpose of this thesis to explore the possible application of blockchain technology in solving issues and concerns of members and stakeholders in multi-stakeholder cooperatives, which prevent effective collaboration in governance.Design: This study is performed using an extensive literature study on blockchain technology, relevant business cases solving issues and concerns comparable to these in multi-stakeholder cooperatives and six semi-structured interviews with blockchain experts, using the business case of multi-stakeholder cooperative Gebiedscoöperatie Westerkwartier.Findings: Findings reveal blockchain-based solutions can contribute to solving existing issues and concerns in multi-stakeholder cooperatives, by implementing its main characteristics: creating transparency, immutability and distributed consensus. This results in increased trust, increased efficiency and accuracy in decision-making, decreased administrative costs due to self-executable smart contracts and enables product traceability in supply chains. However, information is retained in supply chains, preventing blockchain from reaching its full potential. In addition, smart contracts are not legally binding in all countries yet and blockchain, as most technologies, is subject to human or technical error.Value: Overall, this study contributes to understanding issues and concerns existing in multistakeholder cooperatives and the potential application and benefit of blockchain technology to solve existing issues preventing effective collaboration. Expert and participation: Jan Veuger
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