Kim Cameron (computer scientist)

Kim Cameron is a Canadian-American software architect and identity management expert. He is best known for his work at Microsoft, where he served as the Identity Architect. He played a pivotal role in shaping Microsoft's identity strategy and developing key technologies in the field of digital identity.

Cameron is recognized for his advocacy of user-centric identity models and his conceptualization of the "Laws of Identity." These laws articulate principles for designing identity systems that respect user privacy, control, and consent. They include tenets such as user control and consent, minimal disclosure, justifiable parties, directed identity, pluralism of operators, and human integration.

Before joining Microsoft, Cameron worked at Critical Path, where he contributed to email infrastructure. At Microsoft, his influence spanned various products and initiatives, including Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS), Microsoft Passport (later Windows Live ID and eventually Microsoft Account), and InfoCard (later renamed Windows CardSpace).

Cameron has been a vocal commentator on identity, security, and privacy issues, contributing to industry discussions and standards development. His work has had a significant impact on the evolution of digital identity systems and the understanding of the challenges and opportunities in this domain. He left Microsoft in 2018.