Google adopts zero-knowledge proof technology to enhance privacy in digital identifications
The crypto community praised Google's integration of ZKP as a significant step in merging privacy technology with major digital platforms.
Google has added Zero-Knowledge Proof (ZKP) technology to its Google Wallet platform to strengthen user privacy in digital identity systems.
The company confirmed that this feature is active and allows users to verify their age in applications, websites, and devices without revealing personal information.
According to Google:
“We will use ZKP where appropriate in other Google products and partner with applications like Bumble, which will use digital identifications from Google Wallet to verify user identity and ZKP to verify age.”
Additionally, the tech giant plans to open-source its ZKP tools, allowing other wallet providers and developers to adopt authentication systems that prioritize privacy.
This development stems from Google's effort to create a privacy-preserving identity layer, especially as more online services, like dating platforms, require age validation. It explained:
Since many sites and services require age verification, we wanted to develop a system that not only verifies age but does so in a way that protects your privacy.
Zero-knowledge proofs are cryptographic tools that allow one party to confirm a fact to another without revealing the underlying data.
It is noteworthy that ZKPs are already used in blockchain ecosystems like Cardano and Ethereum to enable private transactions, identity verification, and scalable solutions. Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, has also highlighted their potential in areas such as tamper-proof voting, supply chain tracking, and data security.
Meanwhile, Google's adoption of ZKP has received praise from the crypto community, many of whom see it as a validation of a long-advocated technology in the blockchain space.
Rob Viglione, co-founder of Horizen Labs, told CryptoSlate that Google's decision is "a clear signal that privacy-driven innovations are becoming commonplace and that zero-knowledge will become one of the most transformative use cases of cryptocurrencies [that benefits] everyday users."
It added:
It is exciting to see leading companies recognizing that privacy should not be a luxury or an afterthought, but a default option.