The Empowerment Stack is Here
With MyTerms/ IEEE P7012 as the final piece of the jigsaw
I wrote back here about ‘the ‘My’ protocols, AKA, The Empowerment Stack, as I see it. That is to say, the defined set of standard ways to get things done, that an individual/ human should choose for themselves going forward to enable, protect and empower themselves online.
The technology stack that underpins these protocols has four components which, in combination, enable us all to be independent actors in the digital realm should we wish to be.
That word independent is critical. In this context it means ‘the individual could exist online with only capabilities that they control; so are not dependent on others for their core capabilities.
Until now (actually the final piece of the jigsaw shows up on 28th Jan 2026 with the launch of the MyTerms standard; aka IEE P7012), individuals have always had at least one of the components of the empowerment stack run outside of their control. And usually all four.
So to remind, what’s required on the side of the individual? Here’s my hypothesis on what we all need if we wish to be genuinely empowered over time in the digital realm. This is not to say that ‘get these four things and everything changes’; that’s a separate adoption point that i’ll come back to. This is about putting empowerment infrastructure in place.
Firstly. We each need to have at least one strong digital identifier in a standards based format that they create, own and control ourselves.
Next up. We should all gather and curate at least one instance of our core personal data that we own and control.
Third. We will all need to engage at least one AI powered agent that acts on our behalf on a fiduciary basis in the digital realm.
Lastly, We should get up to speed on, and begin proposing, MyTerms agreements to organisations that we engage with; and enacting them where the organisation is willing and able.
Each of those things in isolation is important; but it is only when all four are seen in combination that the magic happens? Why so? It’s quite simple, if a person has a strong digital identifer that they create, own and control, their own data-set under their control, and fiduciary agents doing things for them; but no ability to propose and enact their own terms then by definition they will be operating under terms set by another party. Alternatively, if the individual has the capability to propose their own terms but no capability to do much under those terms then that also does not make positive impact on their ability to independently act online.
But when all four come together, we effectively transition to a new, much more modern architecture for online activity.
We transition from the Client - Server architecture that dates from the early 1980’s. This works on the basis that one party (the server) sets the rules of engagement (terms and connection methods) and defines what can be done; and the client does only what the server allows them to do. Some 50 years later that architecture still dominates, and unfortunately for individuals, that has led to organisations running the servers, and individuals acting as those dumb clients (typically in the form of browsers and mobile apps). That model emerged over time, but now explains why as individuals we have to deal separately with every organisation online. If we have 100 online relationships, that means what we actually have is 100 clients talking to 100 separate servers, 100 different privacy policies, 100 user names, 100 passwords and so on….
But what will we transition to?
I contend that we will transition to what in capability terms will be Server - Server, or it might be seen as Agent - Agent (i.e. servers with agentic front ends). The distinction I see is not so much about which technology underpins what each party has; it is more about balance, equity and each of the parties being able to operate independently. And thus, if they wish to achieve something together they do that co-operatively rather than because one party can dictate to the other how they should operate. That more co-operative model will enable ‘two plus two = five’ outcomes and beyond. And thus why the transition is inevitable.
The MyTerms standard both demands, and enables the individual to have that level of independence and agency.
And then, when all parties can conceptually connect to all other parties, then we have a network model. And personal data exchange operates more like banking, or telephony.
Bring it on.
Of course we then turn to the big unknown….., adoption. There is a clear story on that; but let’s enjoy the MyTerms launch as the milestone it is; and then return to the adoption discussion next week.
