Solid is a Web 3.0 protocol whose main goal is to reshape the relationship between users and their data. Solid is an evolution of the web as we know it, decoupling identities, data and applications. The goal of this new data architecture is to enable new user experiences where the data is organized around and under the control of the individual, with native consent and access control out of the box.
Solid is based on the following key concepts:
Decentralization: unlike traditional data architectures where data is stored around applications, creating silos of information, Solid introduces the concept of a Pod (Personal Online Datastore) where data is stored and organized around the identity who controls that data. This allows users to have fine-grained control over where the data is stored and who can access it.
Interoperability: data in Pods is stored using a standard and open format called RDF (Resource Description Framework) and can be accessed via common web protocols (HTTPS). This ensures that different applications can read and write data to the same Pod using a single universal API, promoting interoperability.
WebIDs: Web Identifiers are unique URIs that serve as an identifier for an entity in Solid. These IDs are an extension of OIDC, allowing for a frictionless integration with existing IdPs and seamless transition to Solid apps for users with existing platform identities.
Solid Pods: Pods are secure data stores where users can store their data. A Pod is a construct where a user can have multiple Pods and all data is discoverable by applications through the user’s WebID and available through the individual’s consent. From a user’s and application’s perspective a user’s Pod is the place where all the user’s information resides but from an implementation perspective there are multiple Pods where each Pod stores different information based on regulations and requirements. For example: a user might have a banking Pod where they store all their banking information like credit card transactions, a health Pod where they store their medical records and a Photos Pod for their family pictures, each in a different hosting provider, all linked to the user’s WebID.
Privacy and security: data is stored in fewer locations and under the user’s control, minimizing data duplication, the risk of data breaches and unauthorized access to personal information.
An evolution, not a revolution: Solid is an evolution of the web as it sits on top of existing technologies like HTTP, Web Servers, OIDC for authentication and RDF for data formatting. This makes it easier to integrate with existing applications and services, while benefiting from 30 years of technology maturity in terms of security, robustness, scalability and performance.
Open specification: Solid, being a W3C open specification, prevents vendor lock-in and sets a strong foundation for a thriving ecosystem of developers and vendors in the long term.
In a world where innovation stagnates under extractive data models, Solid proposes a new data architecture that creates value for consumers and producers of data. A way to organize information in a more equitable and scalable fashion for a world that lives and thrives on data sharing.