Accountable identities on the internet

A method, the method comprising:

• storing a claim describing an attribute associated with a user identity along with a confirmation of the claim, the confirmation of the claim originating from an authority for the attribute that is independent from the user;
• receiving a request to authenticate the user identity to a service provider, wherein authentication requires that the user identity has the attribute;
• gathering, in response to receiving the request to authenticate the user identity to a service provider, biometric data associated with the user, behavioral data associated with the user, contextual data associated with the user, or a combination thereof;
• generating a communication attesting that the user identity has the attribute based on the biometric data, the behavioral data, the contextual data, or the combination thereof;
• and
• sending the communication attesting that the user identity has the attribute.

A system, the system comprising:

• an authentication provider implemented through:
• one or more processors coupled to one or more memory;
• and
• at least one computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
• store a claim describing an attribute associated with a user identity along with a confirmation of the claim, the confirmation of the claim originating from an authority for the attribute that is independent from the user,
• receive a request to authenticate the user identity to a service provider, wherein authentication requires that the user identity has the attribute,
• gather, in response to receiving the request to authenticate the user identity to a service provider, biometric data associated with the user, behavioral data associated with the user, contextual data associated with the user, or a combination thereof;
• generate a communication attesting that the user identity has the attribute based on the biometric data, the behavioral data, the contextual data, or the combination thereof, and
• send the communication attesting that the user identity has the attribute, or the authority for the attribute.