SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwire - Aug 30, 2012) - Respect Network, a San Francisco-based technology company building the world's first network for the trusted exchange of personal data, today announced that miiCard, BioID, Virtrue, and TrustCloud have joined as Verification Partners. Each of these four companies have developed specialized technologies and services for verifying individuals' identities and credentials in a manner consistent with individual control of personal data.
"The Respect Network will enable individuals and businesses to easily and safely form trusted relationships online without the need for a single centralized provider," said Respect Network Managing Director Drummond Reed. "This means users will be able to select their own verification providers and use those verification credentials interoperability across the network. We are very pleased to have four of the most progressive providers of privacy-protecting, user-centric credentials as Respect Network Verification Partners."
The first component of the Respect Network -- Connect.Me -- will enter public beta in September. "Connect.Me lets users join the Respect Network immediately by creating a social business card that consolidates their online presence and lets them vouch for other people they trust," said Joe Johnston, Connect.Me CEO. "As the Respect Network integrates Verification Partner technologies, users will be able to add additional verification badges to their social business card."
"The time has come to put people back in control of their digital identities and personal information to realise the full potential of the Internet," added James Varga, CEO of miiCard. "As the first global identity verification service to prove you are who you say you are purely online, we are excited to join the Respect Network so that others can leverage the trust miiCard provides to enable us all to do more, in a trusted and safe environment."
"Reliable authentication is necessary to make sure a verified identity is only used by its rightful owner," offered Ho Chang, CEO of BioID. "With highly accurate face, voice and iris recognition, BioID closes that final link in the identity chain and enables trusted relationships online, making sure the person communicating or carrying out a transaction really is who he or she claims to be."
"Trust is a human imperative but as the world continues to globalize and become more mobile, you transact with greater numbers of strangers," said Adam Spector, CEO of Virtrue. "Virtrue is excited to provide individuals with their verified identities so that they can transact anywhere, online or offline, with anyone in complete confidence. Enabling Virtrue verified identities as part of the Respect Network is a fantastic opportunity for all parties to become VirtrueUs."
"People work hard to build their trustworthiness online," added Xin Chung, CEO of TrustCloud. "We're eager to explore portable trust indicators that empower people to make better decisions in their peer-to-peer community -- becoming a Respect Network Verification Partner is a place to start."
Respect Network launched the Founding Partner Program in the spring of 2012 to enlist companies committed to the strong personal data control protections of the award-winning Respect Trust Framework. Neustar, one of the world's leading trusted neutral network service providers, and Swisscom, Switzerland's leading telecom provider and one of the most trusted brands in Europe, are the first two Commercial Partners. Other Founding Partners include Kynetx, Gluu, The OpenXDI Project, Project Danube, The Customer's Voice, Planetwork, Bitworld, Ctrl-Shift and The Searls Group.
Respect Network will soon begin inviting select global brands to participate in this new consortium, enabling them to empower and connect directly with customers in a way that has never been possible. For more information, visit www.respectnetwork.com.
About Respect Network Corporation
Respect Network is the world's first trusted personal data network. All members subscribe to the Respect Trust Framework, the new model for personal data sharing that is listed with the Open Identity Exchange and won the Privacy Award at the 2011 European Identity Conference. Individuals can join the Respect Network today through the Connect.Me social relationship manager available at http://connect.me/.
About miiCard
miiCard (My Internet Identity) is a global online identity verification service that allows a consumer to prove for the first time that "I am who I say I am" purely online and in real-time, to an Anti-Money Laundering and Know Your Customer standard, without the need for a physical ID check. For consumers, miiCard is used to build trust on social networks, trade and transact with more convenience and confidence, and proactively manage their online identity. Vendors accepting miiCard as proof of online identity stand to benefit from increased conversions, reduced cost of execution and additional fraud and identity theft protection.
About BioID
BioID developed the first cloud-based biometric recognition service, using face, voice and iris recognition to provide a reliable link between a real person and digital identities by verifying the user's presence in a way that is convenient and natural -- the user simply looks at the camera. BioID detects when an impostor is using a photo or video to impersonate a legitimate user, and protects user privacy by separating biometric data from other personally identifying information. Anonymous biometrics put the user in control of personal information, allowing identity or specific attributes like age or gender to be verified without necessarily sharing legal name or other sensitive information with third parties. The company's technology has been proven through many years of use at enterprises, banks and government organizations.
About Virtrue
Virtrue is your verified identity and is the first global product to instantly verify identity and other trust indicators for online and offline transactions. Virtrue was developed in response to a lack of trust between two parties. In our global and mobile world, it is easy to hide and create fake identities. Virtrue reduces the chance of a fraudulent activity -- be it in hiring, to buying, to sharing or anywhere else lack of information makes you uncomfortable. Stop searching fruitlessly online for data on someone -- ask them to become VirtrueUs. Trust so that you can transact.
About TrustCloud
TrustCloud is a trust system for peer-to-peer marketplaces that measures virtuous behavior online to build a portable and contextual trustworthiness indicators you can use anywhere. TrustCloud's TrustScore starts with Verified users revealing universal virtues of Trustworthiness such as Reliability, Responsiveness, Longevity, and Generosity. This virtuous data is validated by Behavioral algorithms, while recorded Transactions add context. Sharing economy marketplaces, together with thousands of users, have adopted TrustCloud as their default portable trust indicator. Launched in May of 2012, TrustCloud's mission is to increase trust and reduce risk in all peer transactions.
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