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Family Identity System

How we verify who people are, protect their identity, and ensure continuity when external systems fail.

Core Philosophy

punnaraj.com is a trust anchor, not a control center.

The system's purpose is NOT to: - Decide who family members are - Control their access to other systems - Monitor or surveil activity - Force participation

The system's purpose IS to: - Provide backup identity when Gmail/Facebook/Government IDs fail - Preserve relationship maps and family records - Enable succession planning - Protect knowledge across generations

Principle: "No one is required to enter this house. But anyone who returns should be protected."

Three Identity Layers

Layer 1: Personal Identity

What the system knows about you - Name, contact info - Basic demographic data - Preferences, communication method - Authorized devices/accounts

Who controls it: You (self-sovereign)
Who can audit it: You, designated admin
Who can change it: You + approval process
Privacy level: Private (encrypted)

Layer 2: Relational Identity

How you connect to family - Family relationships (parent, sibling, child, etc) - Designated deputies (who acts for you if unavailable) - Trust relationships (who do you trust with your data) - Responsibilities (what are you responsible for)

Who controls it: You + family consensus
Who can audit it: Family members (with permission)
Who can change it: You + family agreement
Privacy level: Family-private (encrypted)

Layer 3: Organizational Identity

Your role in Punnaraj operations - What department you work in (DEV, Finance, Operations, Production, HR) - What authority you have (read, approve, execute, modify) - What credentials you hold (API keys, credentials, access tokens) - What you're responsible for maintaining

Who controls it: Designated authority holder
Who can audit it: Operations + audit trail
Who can change it: Authority holder + approval
Privacy level: Operational (logged, audited)

Account Model

Personal Accounts

  • Purpose: Access to personal data + preferences
  • Authentication: Passwordless (email link + device verification)
  • MFA: Available but optional for personal use
  • Recovery: Designated deputy can assist
  • Revocation: Only by self or organization (if departed)

Deputy Accounts

  • Purpose: Act on someone's behalf (if they're unavailable)
  • Authority: Limited to specific tasks
  • Audit: Full audit trail of what deputy did
  • Revocation: Any time by principal or higher authority
  • Example: "Mom can approve financial decisions on my behalf if I'm unreachable"

Organizational Accounts

  • Purpose: System administration, operations
  • Authentication: Passwordless (biometric + device verification)
  • MFA: Required for operations
  • Revocation: Automatic on role change
  • Audit: Continuous logging of all operations

Trust Boundaries

What Punnaraj.com Does

  • ✅ Maintains identity records (encrypted)
  • ✅ Preserves relationship maps
  • ✅ Provides alternative identity when external systems fail
  • ✅ Logs access + changes (audit trail)
  • ✅ Enables designated succession
  • ✅ Backs up critical documents

What Punnaraj.com Does NOT Do

  • ❌ Store passwords or authentication secrets
  • ❌ Decide who you should trust
  • ❌ Monitor or surveil activity
  • ❌ Force account creation
  • ❌ Control access to other systems
  • ❌ Delete data without explicit request
  • ❌ Move money or make financial decisions
  • ❌ Override your stated preferences

What External Systems Should Do

  • Gmail, Facebook, Government IDs → Primary identity
  • Punnaraj.com → Backup identity + family context
  • When external system fails → Use Punnaraj as recovery path

Succession & Continuity

What Happens If You're Unavailable

Short-term (days/weeks): - Deputy can access your records - Deputy can make time-sensitive decisions - Family is notified - Your preferences are followed

Medium-term (months): - Deputy continues operations - Weekly family check-in - Decision log maintained - You're contacted if major changes needed

Long-term (years): - Successor takes over role - Knowledge transfer documented - Authority formally transferred - New deputy designated

What Happens If You Pass Away

Immediate: - Designated executor notified - Access frozen (except designated heir) - Death certificate verified - Estate processes according to your wishes

Transition: - Knowledge transferred to children/designated heir - Historical records preserved - Family relationships updated - Legacy documents compiled

Ongoing: - Family can maintain relationship records - Children inherit access (if designated) - Stories preserved in family archive - Next generation trained on system

Privacy & Security

Data Encryption

  • At rest: AES-256 encryption
  • In transit: TLS 1.3
  • Backups: Encrypted separately
  • Keys: Multi-custodian (no single person has full access)

Access Logging

  • Every access logged (who, what, when)
  • Audit trail preserved forever
  • Anomalies detected (unusual access patterns)
  • Exports reported to user

Permission Model

  • Zero-trust: No access by default
  • Explicit grants: You approve each access
  • Time-limited: Permissions expire unless renewed
  • Purpose-tied: Access specifies what it's for

Deletion Policy

  • Data never deleted without your request
  • Requested deletion: 30-day grace period
  • Family notified of major deletions
  • Archive preserved (offline, offline)

Accountability

Who's Responsible?

For the system: Wisut Punnaraj (current admin)
For your data: You (self-sovereign) + designated deputy
For family data: Family consensus + admin oversight
For operations: Department heads + audit trail

If Something Goes Wrong

  1. Incident detected → Automatic notification to you
  2. Investigation → Complete audit trail reviewed
  3. Remediation → Data restored or changed as needed
  4. Prevention → Process improved to avoid repeat
  5. Learning → Lesson documented + taught

Right to Audit

You have the right to: - See all your data - Audit access log (who accessed what, when) - Understand how decisions were made - Request correction or deletion - Appeal decisions - Report concerns

Getting Started

If You Want to Join

  1. Optional participation — No obligation
  2. Create account — Basic info (name, contact)
  3. Set preferences — How you want to be contacted
  4. Designate deputy — Who can help if you're unavailable
  5. You're in — Full access to your data

If You Want to Leave

  1. Your choice — No penalties
  2. Data exported — Everything you added goes with you
  3. Access revoked — No system access after exit
  4. Archive preserved — Your role in family history stays

Implementation Status

Component Status Timeline
Personal accounts PLANNED Phase 2 (2027)
Encryption layer PLANNED Phase 2
Deputy system PLANNED Phase 3 (2027-2028)
Organizational accounts PLANNED Phase 1 (2026)
Access logging FOUNDATION In progress
Audit trail FOUNDATION In progress
Succession procedures PLANNED Phase 5 (2028-2029)

Next: Understand Evidence Standards

See: /08-evidence/