The Privacy Podcast

Why the future of the internet depends on owning your data and why today’s systems are already failingWhat if your identity didn’t belong to Big Tech… or even the government?What if it actually belonged to you?In this episode of The Privacy Podcast, host Ben Schiller talks with Wayne Chang, Founder of Spruce ID, to explore one of the most overlooked problems in tech today: identity.From logging into websites to accessing healthcare, our digital identities are fragmented, insecure, and often completely out of our control. Chang breaks down how we got here and why the current system, built on emails, passwords, and centralized platforms, is fundamentally broken.“We want users to control their data flows like a water faucet… under their control.”From “Sign-In with Ethereum” to government-backed digital credentials, this conversation explores a future where identity is portable, private, and owned by the individual.Why This MattersRight now, your identity lives everywhere and nowhere at the same time.It’s stored in silos across platforms, vulnerable to breaches, and increasingly easy to fake in an era of AI-generated everything.And the cracks are starting to show.Chang points to a near-future where identity fraud becomes scalable, cheap, and nearly impossible to detect using today’s systems.“We’re going to reach a precipice moment where attacks get cheap enough to execute at scale.”The result? A complete breakdown of trust online.But there’s another path forward, one built on cryptography, decentralization, and user control.What We CoverWhy today’s identity systems are a “patchwork” and fundamentally insecureHow AI and deepfakes are exposing major flaws in digital verificationThe origin and impact of Sign-In with EthereumWhat digital credentials actually are and why they matterWhy governments, healthcare, and finance are key to fixing identityThe Utah model and a new policy-first approach to digital IDWhy identity should be human-centric, not platform-centricThe role of decentralized protocols in rebuilding trust onlineHow identity unlocks real-world blockchain use casesThe Bottom LineThe internet made it easy to connect. It did not make it safe to trust.Wayne Chang is building toward a future where identity is no longer something you hand over, but something you control.Because in the next phase of the internet, the most important question won’t be what platform you use…It will be who you are and whether you can prove it.🔗 About the 👤 Guest  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/waynebuilds/ Personal Website: https://wycd.net Company Website (SpruceID): https://www.spruceid.comX (Twitter): https://x.com/wycddAuthor page (SpruceID blog): https://blog.spruceid.com/author/wayne/About the ShowThe Privacy Podcast by Miden explores the intersection of privacy, identity, and emerging technologies. Hosted by Ben Schiller, the show brings together builders, regulators, and thinkers shaping what comes next in a world where data is power.Executive Producer Michele MussoEdited by the Musso Media Team Music:  licensed.All rights reserved. ©2026 Musso Media