The arrival of Web3 has changed the way we interact with each other online. Web3 world is more fluid and open. While it's a work-in-progress, the main principle is that it will be decentralized, independent from servers or middle parties. The benefits of decentralized digital identities are essential to protect user privacy, ownership, and data. WireMin aims to break the centralized dilemma by building a Web3 native protocol to enable data ownership and privacy while protecting users from data breaches and cyberattacks. 

In Web2, each platform is like a walled garden that gates social graphs, obtains user data, infringes on user privacy, and imposes content moderations. The Web2 user identity is typically linked with a phone number, which acts as a critical backbone to describe the relationship between users and entities, so any identity leak will lead to social security and privacy alerts. 

Why You Should Never Give Out Your Phone Number

We have used phone numbers as a necessity for communication. We printed it on business cards and yellow pages open to the public. However, phone numbers contain more than just a series of numbers, also your identity. Nowadays, phone numbers are easier to track down than social security numbers because they are linked to a vast number of databases.

During Chen's research 'I Shared My Phone Number. I Learned I Shouldn't Have' from NY Times, it only took $5 and 1 hour to find the following:

• Home address from the last 10 years, cost of the property, and tax paid, as well as previously owned properties and the mortgage;
• Full names of family, including mother, father, sister, and aunt;
• Previous phone numbers, including landlines from parents' house.

Now we don't encourage any of the following, but here are some examples of what a hacker could do with your phone number:

• Hackers: the most high-profile SIM swapping case was that of Twitter's former CEO, Jack Dorsey. Hackers managed to switch his mobile number to their device and gained access to his Twitter account;
• Scammers: trick your contacts for funds, known as robocalls or phishing texts;
• Marketers: spam calls or texts, targeted ads based on your online profiles;
• Doxxing: it has been made easy by online services. They can figure out your real identity and even stalk you in real life.

The sad truth is that SMS messaging is now an antiquated technology. The public first deployed the Global System for Mobile Communication protocol in 1991. The encryption algorithms of A5/1 stream ciphers and A5/3 block ciphers are as old as twenty years. Expectantly, the network is outdated and easily hacked. We have already seen backlashes of hackers who had planted malware deep inside multiple networks to intercept messages at will. It is akin to sending letters in unsealed envelopes and hoping no one will look inside. 

Here are some tips while using phone numbers to ensure privacy: 

• Don't use anything which uses your phone number as an identifier;
• Set up a second phone number to clock your digits altogether;
• Use two-factor authentication apps.

How Does WireMin Accounts Protect User Identity & Privacy?

WireMin decentralized social identity enables users to be the sole owner of their accounts and data without phone numbers. To create a new user, WireMin automatically generates a secret seed, a 27-byte globally unique random number. The secret seed is then encrypted and stored in the local device using a passcode provided by the user. The secret seed is the only information required to control an account. It removes the need to enter phone numbers or usernames and protects users from hacks and identity thefts.

Users can unlock the benefits of WireMin verified identities and transform how we view social identities. Every user can generate digital signatures and verify others independently, even without the internet. The user identity is a 52-character string derived from the secret seed. After the device loads the secret seed with a successful login, it will digitally sign every message to others during social networking activities, which confirms the identities of intended parties and builds relationships in decentralized environments. 

WireMin decentralized identity gives users full control over their data online, enabling users from all backgrounds to express themselves and interact freely and securely. Everyone can create a WireMin account that represents them with a unique identifier that cannot be replicated. It provides a vital foundation in driving and ushering users into a new world of freedom and empowerment.