How MIR Works

The Platform Dilemma

The internet forgot how to remember people. Every online platform faces the same challenge: How do you reduce fraud and abuse without building a surveillance system that harms legitimate users?

Most systems try to identify "bad actors" directly—blacklists, bans, risk scores, behavioral judgments. These approaches create false positives, punish edge cases, and force platforms to make claims they can't always prove.

History is neutral. Having it isn't proof you're good. Not having it isn't proof you're bad. But history adds context—and context changes outcomes.

Two Types of People

Bad actors reset endlessly. Good users shouldn't have to.

Here's what MIR doesn't do: accuse anyone. A blank profile isn't a red flag—it's just blank. But blank is no longer meaningless. It's the absence of signal, and that absence now has context.

Market Pressure Without Accusations

When history becomes portable, something subtle but powerful happens:

For people who want trust

Legitimate users can carry proof they're not new. Five years of successful transactions on one platform no longer disappear when you move to another. Your history becomes an asset you accumulate and keep.

For people avoiding accountability

Users who rely on repeated fresh starts face a choice: build real history (which requires behaving well), or remain perpetually blank. Staying blank used to be free. Now it comes with friction.

MIR is most useful at decision points—onboarding, payouts, limits, disputes—not as a blanket gatekeeper.

Nothing Is Permanent

MIR is not a permanent record. People change. Circumstances change. A system that traps people in their past isn't fair—it's just surveillance with extra steps.

Event aging and decay

Older events carry less weight than recent ones. A chargeback from three years ago matters less than consistent positive activity over the past six months. Patterns matter more than incidents.

Visibility windows

Partners see summarized history tiers, not exhaustive records. The goal is context, not surveillance. You're not defined by your worst day—you're represented by your pattern.

User-controlled disclosure

You decide which platforms can access your history. You can unlink accounts. You can see exactly what's shared and with whom. Transparency isn't optional—it's the foundation.

The right to rebuild

Bad history fades. Good behavior accumulates. MIR doesn't believe in permanent punishment—it believes in demonstrated change. Anyone can rebuild their reputation through sustained positive engagement.

What MIR Does NOT Do

Understanding what MIR isn't matters as much as what it is:

• MIR does not judge people. We record verified events. Platforms decide how—or whether—to use them.
• MIR does not assign trust scores. No ratings. No rankings. No behavioral predictions.
• MIR does not accuse anyone of fraud. Absence of history is not wrongdoing.
• MIR does not track users across the web. We only see events submitted by partner platforms you've engaged with.
• MIR does not allow arbitrary lookups. Partners can only query users they already know. No browsing. No fishing.
• MIR does not sell or expose personal identity. Platforms never see each other's user IDs. Your identifiers remain siloed.
• MIR does not create permanent records. Signals age. Patterns matter more than incidents. People can rebuild history.

MIR is infrastructure—not enforcement.

How Identity Linking Works

A common question: does everyone need to use the same user ID everywhere? No. Each platform keeps their own system.

The linking process

• Partners submit events with their IDs. Each platform uses whatever user IDs they already have.
• You create a MIR account. One identity that belongs to you.
• You link your accounts. Via a secure token or verification code, you prove "I'm ebay-user-12345 AND etsy-shop-abc."
• History merges. Now your eBay history provides context on Etsy—without either platform sharing your actual IDs with each other.

Partners never see each other's user IDs. They only see the aggregated participation signals you've chosen to make portable. Your identity stays yours.

You've Seen This Before

The concept isn't new. MIR applies a proven pattern to internet trust:

• 💳 Credit history You can't get a mortgage without years of payment history. Having no credit history isn't illegal—but it limits your options.
• 🎓 Academic transcripts Your grades follow you from school to school. A blank transcript isn't disqualifying—but it raises questions.
• 💼 Employment references Past employers vouch for your work. No references isn't a crime—but employers notice.
• ✅ Verified badges LinkedIn, Twitter, others verify identity. Being unverified isn't bad—but verified users get more trust.

MIR brings this pattern to the places that need it most: marketplaces, freelance platforms, rentals, communities—anywhere strangers transact.

The Bottom Line

MIR reflects history through simple, volume-based tiers—not scores, rankings, or predictions. And importantly: MIR does not restrict access or impose penalties—platforms decide how to interpret history signals.