Kantara Initiative

As one of the three entities comprising the global Kantara brand stable, Kantara Initiative, Inc is an international ethics based, mission-led 501 (c)(6) US incorporated global non profit industry ‘commons’, passionate about giving people agency over their personal data and giving people confidence to transact in the digital economy. It also took on the role of the US’s national industry association in 2018 after the assets of the Identity Ecosystem Steering Group (IDESG) were transitioned to Kantara prior to the IDESG’s dissolution. Nonetheless, more than 50% of Kantara’s members are from outside the US. Kantara Initiative, Inc. is unique in offering service providers 3rd party conformity assessment and assurance approval against its NIST 800-63-3 Class of Approval under its Identity Assurance Trust Framework, as well as other well known standards and specifications. This brings greater confidence to procurers of digital services and in turn their customers that digital identity credential service providers’ solutions are standards compliant. The Kantara community also develops specifications from a ‘blank canvas’ and submits them to formal standardization bodies to fill emerging industry and marketplace needs. The GDPR-compliance assisting Consent Receipt specification is a perfect example, now annexed in ISO/IEC 29184 Online privacy notices and consent, and foundational for IS/IEC 27560 Privacy technologies – Consent record information structure. But it does not end there. User Managed Access (EIC Award Winner for Innovation in Information Security 2014) is base-lined for Healthcare and Financial Services globally. Kantara Initiative Inc is truly international and apolitical. More than 50% of its members reside outside the US comprising public, private and non-profit sectors. It connects a global, open and transparent leadership community committed to low or no barriers to participation is sustained by Digi.me, Experian, ForgeRock, Idemia and the Internet Society – offered by no other organization in the industry.