Claims Agent Charter

Name
NextGen Selector Working Group

Purpose
The purpose of this working group is to (i) create a forum for collaboration between commercial and open source developers on interoperable, "next gen" selector implementations and (ii) provide funding for the development of an open source "next gen" selector implementation.

A "selector" is a software component and/or service that allows the user to select a claim-set from among multiple alternative sources of these claim-sets.

The term "next gen" implies that the selector has the following characteristics:
 * Must include a base "cloud selector" component --a web-based app that is invoked by a relying party application and can be used with an unmodified browser
 * May include a minimal browser extension used only to invoke the cloud selector while reducing the phishing attack surface
 * May include the ability to download from the cloud selector an optional active client selector. The active client selector relies on the cloud service to synchronize state across multiple active clients
 * Support existing protocols such as OpenID, SAML and IMI
 * May or may not be used to provide claims used for authentication

An active client selector is a computer/device resident software component that provides identity and personal data related services to local applications. Active client selectors are integrated with browsers via a browser extension. The optional active client selector component offers additional benefits beyond the "base" cloud selector:
 * User experience. Once installed an active client can provide a simpler UX for many identity and personal data related interactions with apps/services.
 * Security: Active clients can provide additional protection from some kinds of phishing attacks, and they support higher levels of assurance with less user inconvenience.
 * Privacy: Active clients do not disclose to an external operator (e.g. a cloud selector service operator) the websites that the user visits. Further, they can act as wallets for privacy enhancing long-lived tokens (including those based on zero knowledge proofs) that provide additional privacy protections.

Scope

 * To create a selector development community that includes open source, research and commercial efforts.
 * To build relationships with related efforts at Kantara (e.g. ULX), Mozilla (e.g. Account Manager) and W3C (new initiatives being considered). This includes building relationships with groups that are designing new identity protocols in order to make them work well with next gen selectors.
 * To develop specifications for a cloud-based API for synchronizing state across active clients.
 * To contribute specifications to standards groups (e.g. OASIS, W3C, and OpenID)
 * To fund a complete, open source nextgen selector implementation including active client selectors for desktop and mobile devices. All developed source code will be licensed under TBD license (most likely Apache 2.0 or EPL 1.0)
 * To support and fund interoperability testing of nextgen selectors

Principles
See Identity Commons Purpose And Principles

Practices
to be written

Requirements of Participation and How to Join
to be written

Licenses and/or Restrictions on Usage of Work Product

 * Open Web Foundation for specs
 * Apache 2.0 or EPL 1.0 (TBD) for code

Current Deliverables and Milestones
to be written

Current Meeting Schedule
to be written

Current Membership
to be written

Current Stewards Council Representative and Alternate

 * Paul Trevithick?
 * Alternate?

Current Links
to be written

Related Groups

 * Kantara ULX WG
 * Mozilla Account Manager
 * OpenInfoCard
 * FC2
 * Higgins Active Client

History
This is where the group can share about how/why the group was founded and where will be where quarterly reports will be linked to.