Sovereign
Meme
The term Sovereign has a rich history and multifaceted meanings. At its core, it refers to supreme authority or power, often associated with rulers like kings, queens, or heads of state2. Sovereignty also signifies independence and autonomy, as seen in sovereign nations that govern themselves without external control.
Context
Historically, the word "sovereign" originates from the Old French "souverain," derived from the Latin "superānus," meaning "above". It has been used to describe monarchs, leaders of chivalric orders, and even municipal government officials in certain contexts.
In modern usage, "sovereign" extends beyond political realms. It can describe supreme quality or excellence, as in "sovereign remedy," or financial instruments like sovereign bonds. The concept of sovereignty remains central to discussions about governance, autonomy, and power dynamics.
Self-sovereign
This term is somewhat redundant as it indicates that one Individual has control of their own property, specifically their own Identity and other private items. As with other sovereignty it can also be shared as well.
Problems
When one person or group has full sovereignty over others it is known as a dictatorship. See the wiki page on Balance of Powers for more about overcoming dictatorship with a splitting of sovereignty among more that one Individual or group.
Solutions
While data under your control may not need an explicit owner identifier, data in the cloud needs to be associated with an owner who can control access to the data. In today's world, your personal data is "owned" by some enterprise role within some enterprise you have never heard of and cannot communication with. The proposal for the world of the future is that your personal data remains under your control and the business owner must act as your fiduciary. To exercise your control the data must be associated with your identifier.
