It's a bigger issue for Bitcoin than for Civic, tbh.
Civic is not yet open source - eventually one day, it will be. Open sourcing security software in the early days is very risky
-- Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/ArkEcosystem/comments/6fw0un/log_of_ama_with_civic_by_vinny_lingham/?st=j3nih9dl&sh=5aacd533
Is Civic open source in the meantime? I think it's a huge barrier for people to enter an identidy security platform when it is no open source. I mean that is simply not acceptable from my point of view. I mean you don't know anyway what Mr. validator does with your PII, but that's why you only confirm validators that you trust. But like this I have to trust a startup that writes some software.
It's not open source. Team doesn't want competitors to know the source. Maybe some day they will go open source!
Store data encrypted in a non open source programm does make not much sense to me. Furthermore non open source identity security is also a big issue.
I don't rely thing most people understand what Civic project is all about, it all stands against what Crypto stands for and Governement can and come in and ask Civic team to supply them their users information like COinbase and won't have any other option but to comply
However if crypto is to be adopted to the mainstream it will need to be regulated. This is why Civic is crucial is getting mass adoption. Plus civic provide better security for future launch. Like it or not Civic will be huge no doubt!!!!