Inrupt Releases SOLID Privacy Platform for Enterprises

Inrupt, the company founded by the inventor of the World Wide Web, Tim Berners-Lee, today unveiled an enterprise-level iteration of the Solid privacy platform. This version empowers substantial organizations and governmental bodies to create applications that prioritize user control over their personal information.

Berners-Lee has consistently championed a free and open web, yet over the past two decades, numerous large entities have emerged, profiting from the utilization of user data. His objective is to restore data control to individuals, and the Solid initiative – an open-source project originating at MIT – represented the initial phase of this endeavor.

Three years ago, he established Inrupt, a company constructed upon the foundations of the open-source project, and appointed John Bruce as its CEO. Both leaders share a common vision: to transfer data ownership to users without disrupting existing web development practices. Solid enables developers to employ familiar standards and techniques, ensuring compatibility across all web browsers. The core goal of Solid is to rebalance data authority, directing it back to the user.

“Today marks the release of our first major technological achievement – an enterprise version of Solid designed for large-scale deployment by significant organizations,” Bruce stated.

The fundamental principle of this system is that users maintain control over their data within secure online storage spaces known as Personal Online Data Stores, or Pods. The enterprise version comprises Solid Server, which manages these Pods, and a Software Development Kit (SDK) allowing developers to build applications that leverage Pods and access necessary data for tasks such as tax filing or interaction with healthcare services. Bruce emphasized that the enterprise version adheres fully to the specifications of the open-source Solid project.

Prior to this release, the company collaborated with prominent organizations, including the BBC, the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK, and the Government of Flanders in Belgium, to refine and prepare the platform for market.

To illustrate its functionality, the NHS is developing an application enabling patients to interact with the service, utilizing Solid to manage their health data. “Patients will have the ability to authorize physicians, family members, or in-home caregivers to view specific data from their Solid Pods, and to contribute care notes or observations that doctors can then access to enhance patient care,” the company explained.

This differs from traditional web or mobile applications in that the user determines who can access their information. Application owners must request permission, which the user must explicitly grant, specifying the conditions of access.

Founded in 2017, the startup has secured approximately $20 million in funding to date. Bruce and Berners-Lee recognize that widespread adoption requires ease of use, adherence to established standards, and the ability to handle substantial volumes of data. While the open-source version of Solid is freely available, the enterprise version provides the support, security, and scalability demanded by large organizations with whom they are partnering.