State-Endorsed Digital Identity Summit
October 17, 2025 • Utah Valley University
A resource for state legislators, state technology leaders, technologists, constituents, and advocate groups to understand State-Endorsed Digital Identity (SEDI).
Summit Sessions
Watch the full State-Endorsed Digital Identity Summit sessions. All three sessions are available with detailed bookmarks for easy navigation to key topics.
Morning Session
9:00–11:00 AM
KB 101
Key Topics & Timestamps scroll for more
Welcome & Summit Overview
Chris Bramwell opens the summit explaining the purpose and goals of the SEDI consortium.
The Digital Identity Problem
Introduction to digital identity challenges and why America needs to lead in this space.
Current Concerns & Real Harms
Overview of digital identity threats affecting children, elderly, and families.
Vision for the Future
Imagining a future with trusted digital identity protecting citizens and families.
Core SEDI Principle: Identity Belongs to You
Fundamental principle that government endorses but does not create or control identity.
What is Digital Identity?
Ryan Hurst explains digital identity fundamentals and lessons from 30 years of experience.
Personal Story: Jake's Tragedy
Cindy George shares her son's story of online extortion and suicide.
Legislative Champions Panel
Legislators discuss why they support SEDI and how Utah approaches digital identity policy.
Q&A with Legislators
Questions about implementation, town halls, and building support for SEDI across states.
Current Digital Identity Landscape
Daniel Hardman surveys the complex current state of digital identity technologies and standards.
Centralized vs Decentralized Identity
Dr. Phil Windley explores first-person identity and the shift from digital subjects to digital citizens.
Backward Compatibility & Continuous Improvement
Utah CTO Joe Jackson explains how SEDI supports legacy credentials during transition periods.
Live SEDI Demo
Hands-on demonstration of SEDI technology showing real digital identity interactions.
Lunch Panel
12:30–1:00 PM
KB 401–403
Key Topics & Timestamps scroll for more
ACLU Perspective on Digital Identity
Jay Stanley discusses ACLU concerns and 12 principles for privacy-protecting digital identity.
Key Privacy Protections
Detailed explanation of "no phone home," verifier unlinkability, and selective disclosure principles.
Government Kill Switch Concerns
Discussion of preventing government revocation power and protecting individual identity rights.
Libertarian Institute Support
Jason Chipman explains why privacy advocates support SEDI with proper safeguards.
Better Identity Coalition Vision
Jeremy Grant discusses the need for strategic thinking about digital identity in America.
Crypto Community Endorsement
Christian Reza shares why crypto enthusiasts surprisingly support the SEDI approach.
Blockchain Pioneer's Endorsement
Scott Stornetta, co-inventor of blockchain, explains why SETI aligns with decentralization principles.
Return to Main Session
Transition back to the main atrium for afternoon technical sessions.
Afternoon Session
1:15–4:00 PM
KB 101
Key Topics & Timestamps scroll for more
Afternoon Session Introduction
Overview of deep technical topics: security, privacy, open standards, and demonstrations.
SEDI as Critical Infrastructure
Alan Fuller explains why digital identity must be treated as essential public infrastructure.
Open Standards & Protocols
Scott Perry discusses the importance of open standards and 10+ years of foundational work.
Digital Guardianship & Delegation
Timothy Ruff introduces breakthrough concepts for managing family digital identity relationships.
Complex Guardianship Scenarios
Detailed examples of divorced parents, disabled adults, and weighted multi-signature authority.
Cardano Foundation Demo Setup
Introduction to live demonstration of guardian-controlled child protection technology.
Live Guardian Demo: Birth Certificates
Real-time demonstration of state issuing birth certificates and guardianship credentials.
Family Portal & Parental Controls
Demo of parents issuing social media credentials with age restrictions and safe interaction controls.
Gaming Platform Integration
Demonstration of SEDI integration into Roblox-style gaming with parental purchase approvals.
Future of Digital Child Safety
Vision for protecting 20-40 million daily users of gaming platforms through cryptographic parental control.
Zero Surveillance, Zero Tracking
Steve McCown explains architecture approach for surveillance-free identity ecosystem with no hidden monitoring.
Economic Impact: Finnish Case Study
Simon Wood shares how Finland saved 99% of tax processing costs with state-endorsed digital identity.
Getting Started on Your SEDI Journey
Interactive discussion on bringing SEDI to other states, model legislation, and consortium building.
About the Summit
The State-Endorsed Digital Identity Summit brought together key stakeholders to discuss the future of digital identity systems at the state level. This summit provided a platform for collaborative discussion on implementation, privacy concerns, security considerations, and policy implications.
This website serves as a comprehensive resource hub for all summit content, including video recordings of all sessions and related materials.
What is SEDI?
State-Endorsed Digital Identity (SEDI) is a constitutionally-based model meant to restore trust and protect liberty in the digital age.
The Challenge: Trust Has Collapsed Online
The internet has transformed how people live, work, and communicate. It connects billions of people across continents, supports global commerce, and powers innovation. Yet a trustworthy way for individuals to prove who they are does not exist.
In the physical world, trust is reinforced by an individual's image, voice, and official documents. In the digital world, those natural and institutional signals of trust vanish. In their absence, governments and corporations attempt to fill the void, building digital identity systems that control, surveil, profile, objectify, score and monetize our behaviors and personal data.
The absence of a secure, privacy-preserving identity layer has become more than an inconvenience; it has become a national vulnerability that puts at risk individual security, trust in democracy, and the free market economy.
Why SEDI is Needed
For more than a decade, technologies and standards have advanced the technical capabilities of digital identity worldwide. However, organizations who have adopted these technologies have not addressed some of the most essential questions concerning individual rights, comprehensive governance, and constitutional safeguards. SEDI fills that gap, ensuring that digital identity is designed to serve people.
A Constitutional Foundation for Digital Trust
SEDI begins with a foundational principle: identity belongs to the person, not the government. The government's role is not to create or control identity but to endorse and protect it as a matter of public trust.
This reflects the founding idea of the United States, that all just powers of government derive from the consent of the governed. SEDI recognizes it is the role of the state to act as a trusted endorser, verifying an individual's asserted identity and then issuing an endorsed credential mathematically bound to a digital identifier that the individual alone controls.
A hierarchy of values is used to establish priorities for SEDI requirements, the highest being to protect individual rights (including privacy), safeguard children and the vulnerable, and strengthen families and communities.
SEDI Framework & Core Principles
SEDI is built on six foundational principles that ensure digital identity serves individuals while maintaining security and trust.
Comprehensive Legal Framework
Before implementing any digital identity system, states should establish a comprehensive legal and governance framework that protects an individual's rights and ensures accountability.
Key Requirements
- Clear governance structures
- Comprehensive program requirements
- Enforceable standards for digital identity systems
- Open standards and open protocols
- Explicit provisions for transparency
- Separation of duties and enforcement mechanisms
Individual Control
Individuals create globally unique digital identifiers using cryptography that they alone control. The state endorses, not creates, identity through cryptographically bound credentials.
Key Requirements
- User-controlled digital identifiers
- State endorsement via digital signatures
- Individual custody and control
- Digital wallet of user's choosing
- Mathematical binding to credentials
Privacy
SEDI implements a decentralized, peer-to-peer approach with mathematical proofs, eliminating privacy-invasive 'phone-home' checks and tracking.
Key Requirements
- Decentralized peer-to-peer verification
- Mathematical proof systems
- No central authority phone-home checks
- Selective disclosure of facts
- Zero tracking by third parties
Parental Rights and Delegation
Parents can manage their children's digital identity and credentials. SEDI provides technical tools to protect children from exploitation while enabling guardian delegation.
Key Requirements
- Parental management of children's identity
- Protection from digital exploitation
- Guardian delegation capabilities
- Legally appointed guardian support
- Technical safeguards for vulnerable adults
Critical Public Infrastructure and Security
SEDI expects constant attacks and provides powerful means to detect compromise, contain intrusions, and rapidly recover. Credentials work offline during outages or attacks.
Key Requirements
- Nation-state attack resilience
- Compromise detection systems
- Rapid intrusion containment
- Full recovery capabilities
- Offline verification support
Backward Compatibility
SEDI is backward compatible with existing digital identity technologies, ensuring seamless transition without disruption or loss of functionality.
Key Requirements
- Compatibility with existing systems
- Seamless transition pathways
- No functionality loss
- Principled and practical approach
- Continuity during advancement
SEDI Capabilities & Opportunities
Resources & Contacts
Access official SEDI documentation and connect with the Utah team leading this initiative.
Official SEDI Framework
Download the complete State-Endorsed Digital Identity framework document outlining the principles, implementation guidelines, and policy recommendations.
Download SEDI Framework PDFVersion 1.0 • October 17, 2025
Connect with the Utah SEDI Team
Join the SEDI Consortium
Utah invites every state to join the State-Endorsed Digital Identity Consortium to create a better digital identity and digital future together. Connect with us to learn about model legislation, implementation strategies, and multi-state collaboration opportunities.