• Legal entities act as disclosers when presenting their Legal Entity vLEI Credentials to verifiers
• Authorized representatives (both OOR and ECR credential holders) act as disclosers when presenting role credentials
• QVIs may act as disclosers when presenting their QVI credentials to demonstrate their authorization to issue vLEI credentials

The discloser role is not explicitly defined as a governance role in the vLEI framework documents, but rather emerges as an operational role that any credential holder assumes when presenting credentials. This reflects the decentralized nature of the KERI/ACDC architecture, where credential presentation does not require intermediaries or central authorities.

GLEIF Context

While GLEIF (Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation) does not formally define "discloser" as a governance role in its vLEI documentation, the concept is implicit in the credential presentation workflows described in the governance framework. GLEIF's role as the root of trust in the vLEI ecosystem means that:

• GLEIF itself may act as a discloser when presenting its root credentials
• The governance framework establishes the conditions under which various parties may disclose credentials
• The framework's emphasis on chain-link confidentiality directly relates to discloser responsibilities

Related Governance Entities

The discloser role interacts with several other governance-defined entities:

• Disclosee: The recipient of the disclosed ACDC, forming the complementary role in presentation exchanges
• Issuer: The original creator of the ACDC, who may or may not be the same entity as the discloser
• Issuee: The subject of the credential, who typically becomes the discloser in subsequent presentations
• Verifier: While not formally defined in the ACDC specification, verifiers are the practical recipients (disclosees) in most credential presentation scenarios

Roles & Responsibilities

Primary Responsibilities

The discloser's primary responsibilities in the ACDC/IPEX ecosystem include:

1. Credential Presentation Control

The discloser has exclusive control over what information is disclosed and when. This includes:

• Selecting disclosure variants: Choosing between compact disclosure, partial disclosure, selective disclosure, or full disclosure
• Implementing graduated disclosure: Progressively revealing information as trust relationships develop or requirements evolve
• Managing SAID references: Deciding which field maps to present as SAIDs (cryptographic commitments) versus expanded content

2. Privacy Protection

The discloser is responsible for protecting their own privacy through:

• Minimizing correlation risk: Avoiding unpermissioned correlation by carefully controlling what attributes are disclosed together
• Implementing chain-link confidentiality: Establishing contractual protections that bind downstream recipients to confidentiality obligations
• Using private ACDCs: Leveraging UUIDs and blinding techniques to prevent rainbow table attacks

3. Cryptographic Verification

The discloser must ensure that disclosed ACDCs maintain their cryptographic integrity:

• Preserving SAID bindings: Ensuring that any disclosed variant maintains verifiable cryptographic commitments to the original issued credential
• Providing verification paths: Enabling the disclosee to verify the authenticity of disclosed information back to the issuer
• Managing KEL references: Ensuring that the discloser's AID (Autonomic Identifier) is verifiable through its Key Event Log

4. Contractual Compliance

When using contractually protected disclosure, the discloser must:

• Establish disclosure terms: Define the conditions under which information may be used by the disclosee
• Obtain agreement: Ensure the disclosee agrees to terms before revealing sensitive information
• Create bespoke credentials: Generate custom ACDCs that bind disclosure to specific usage constraints

Authority and Permissions

The discloser's authority derives from:

Cryptographic Control

The discloser must have cryptographic control over the ACDC being disclosed, which typically means:

• Possession of the credential: Having received the ACDC from the issuer through an issuance exchange
• Control over the issuee AID: If the ACDC has an issuee field, the discloser typically controls the private keys associated with that AID
• Ability to sign presentations: The discloser can create cryptographic signatures proving they control the credential

Delegation Authority

In some scenarios, the discloser may have delegated authority:

• Custodial agents: May act as disclosers on behalf of credential holders
• Authorized representatives: In the vLEI ecosystem, representatives may disclose credentials on behalf of legal entities
• Delegated identifiers: Through KERI's delegation mechanism, disclosers may operate under delegated authority

Limitations

The discloser role has several important limitations:

1. Cannot Modify Issued Credentials

The discloser cannot alter the content of an ACDC issued by another party. The SAID mechanism ensures that any modification would be immediately detectable. The discloser can only:

• Choose which variant to present (compact, partial, selective, full)
• Select which attributes to disclose (in selective disclosure scenarios)
• Add additional context through bespoke credentials

2. Cannot Prevent Downstream Disclosure

While chain-link confidentiality provides legal protections, the discloser cannot cryptographically prevent a disclosee from further disclosing information. The protections are:

• Legal/contractual: Based on agreements and liability frameworks
• Not cryptographic: Unlike encryption, which can technically prevent access
• Dependent on enforcement: Require legal systems to enforce confidentiality obligations

3. Cannot Revoke After Disclosure

Once information is disclosed, the discloser cannot "take it back." While the original issuer may revoke a credential through the TEL (Transaction Event Log), the discloser cannot:

• Undo a disclosure that has already occurred
• Force a disclosee to delete received information
• Retroactively change disclosure terms

4. Must Respect Issuer Constraints

The discloser must operate within constraints established by the issuer:

• Schema compliance: Cannot disclose information in ways that violate the ACDC's schema
• Rule sections: Must respect any rules embedded in the ACDC by the issuer
• Revocation status: Should not present revoked credentials as valid

Credential Lifecycle

While the discloser is not a credential type itself, understanding the discloser's role in the credential lifecycle is essential:

Issuance Phase

During issuance, the future discloser is typically the issuee (credential subject):

1. Issuance exchange: The issuer acts as the discloser in the initial exchange, presenting the newly created ACDC to the issuee
2. Credential receipt: The issuee receives the ACDC and stores it in their credential store
3. Verification: The issuee verifies the ACDC's cryptographic integrity and issuer authenticity

Presentation Phase

This is where the issuee becomes the discloser:

1. Presentation request: A verifier (acting as disclosee) requests specific credential information
2. Disclosure decision: The discloser decides what information to reveal and in what format
3. IPEX exchange: The discloser initiates a presentation exchange using the IPEX protocol
4. Graduated disclosure: The discloser may progressively reveal information through multiple exchange steps
5. Verification by disclosee: The disclosee verifies the disclosed ACDC's authenticity

Revocation Considerations

When a credential is revoked:

1. Issuer revocation: The issuer updates the TEL to mark the credential as revoked
2. Discloser awareness: The discloser should monitor the TEL to be aware of revocation status
3. Presentation obligations: The discloser should not present revoked credentials as valid
4. Revocation disclosure: In some scenarios, the discloser may need to present a revoked credential to prove it was revoked

Related Governance Documents

ACDC Specification

The primary technical specification defining the discloser role:

• Document: ACDC Specification
• Relevant sections:
  • Section on presentation exchanges
  • Graduated disclosure mechanisms
  • Compact and selective disclosure variants

IPEX Protocol Specification

The protocol specification that operationalizes the discloser role:

• Document: IPEX Protocol Draft
• Key concepts:
  • Unified disclosure model for issuance and presentation
  • Discloser/disclosee role definitions
  • Exchange message formats

vLEI Ecosystem Governance Framework

While not explicitly defining "discloser," the vLEI framework establishes the governance context:

• Document: vLEI Ecosystem Governance Framework v3.0
• Relevant sections:
  • Credential presentation requirements
  • Privacy and confidentiality obligations
  • Authorized representative responsibilities

KERI Specification

The foundational identity infrastructure that enables discloser authentication:

• Document: KERI Specification
• Relevant concepts:
  • AID (Autonomic Identifier) control
  • KEL (Key Event Log) verification
  • Witness infrastructure

CESR Specification

The encoding specification that enables efficient credential presentation:

• Document: CESR Specification
• Relevance: Defines how ACDCs are encoded for presentation in both text and binary formats

Chain-Link Confidentiality Research

The academic foundation for discloser privacy protections:

• Document: Woodrow Hartzog, "Chain-Link Confidentiality" (SSRN)
• Relevance: Establishes the legal framework for binding downstream recipients to confidentiality obligations

Technical Implementation Considerations

Disclosure Variant Selection

The discloser must choose appropriate disclosure variants based on:

• Trust level: More compact variants for lower-trust scenarios
• Information requirements: Full disclosure when all attributes are needed
• Privacy concerns: Selective disclosure to minimize correlation risk
• Performance constraints: Compact variants reduce bandwidth and processing requirements

IPEX Message Flow

The discloser initiates IPEX exchanges through specific message types:

1. Grant messages: Offer to disclose specific ACDCs
2. Admit messages: Respond to requests for disclosure
3. Apply messages: Request disclosure from another party (when acting as disclosee)

Cryptographic Signing

The discloser must sign presentation messages using:

• AID private keys: Proving control over the discloser identifier
• CESR signatures: Properly formatted cryptographic signatures
• Witness receipts: In some cases, obtaining witness confirmation of disclosure events

Privacy-Preserving Techniques

Advanced disclosers may employ:

• Blinded attributes: Using UUIDs to prevent rainbow table attacks
• Selective attribute disclosure: Revealing only necessary attributes
• Bespoke credentials: Creating custom disclosure contracts
• Graduated disclosure: Progressive revelation over multiple exchanges

Relationship to Other ACDC Roles

Discloser vs. Issuer

The discloser and issuer roles are distinct but related:

• Issuer: Creates and signs the original ACDC
• Discloser: Presents the ACDC to others
• Overlap: In issuance exchanges, the issuer acts as the discloser
• Separation: In presentation exchanges, the discloser is typically the issuee, not the issuer

Discloser vs. Issuee

The issuee typically becomes the discloser:

• Issuee: The subject of the credential (the entity the claims are about)
• Discloser: The entity presenting the credential
• Common pattern: The issuee receives the credential and later discloses it
• Exception: Custodial agents may disclose on behalf of the issuee

Discloser vs. Disclosee

These are complementary roles in presentation exchanges:

• Discloser: The active party initiating disclosure
• Disclosee: The recipient of the disclosure
• Role reversal: A disclosee in one exchange may become a discloser in a subsequent exchange (chain-link confidentiality)

Conclusion

The discloser role is fundamental to the ACDC credential presentation model, providing the active control point for privacy-preserving, graduated disclosure of verifiable credentials. While not explicitly defined as a governance role in the vLEI framework, the discloser concept is essential to understanding how credentials flow through the ecosystem and how privacy protections are implemented. The discloser's responsibilities center on controlling what information is revealed, when it is revealed, and under what contractual conditions, while maintaining the cryptographic integrity that enables verification back to the original issuer.