Someone asked me to explain the basics of digital identity and why it is important. Keeping the explanation concise is a bit of a challenge because digital identity, like any kind of identity, can be issued, chosen and/or expressed. A digital identity can also be assigned to a wide variety of holders, can be used in many contexts and can serve a multitude of purposes.
In this context “digital” means connected to programming code in devices that can read, write, or store information that is usually represented in numerical or alphanumerical form. “Identity” in this context means the quality or condition of being the same as something else. “Digital identity” is the representation of a person, place, process or thing in a distributed network interaction with another person, place, process or thing. The general purpose of digital identity is to restore the relative ease and security that transactions once had when humans lived in a tribe where everyone knew each other and both personal and business communications were face-to-face. Strong digital identity leads to deep digital trust.
I mentioned earlier that a digital identity can be issued to you. Your Social Security Number is an identity that was issued to you by the government. It identifies you, and only you, as a taxpayer. Your SSN is used by the Federal government to identify and monitor your compensation and the financial resources you own.
Digitizing your SSN and using it as a digital identity has already occurred. Linking this important identity with other issued identities that have been digitized like your driver license, medical record, insurance, employee ID, credit card, telephone number, bank account, travel records, brokerage account, military ID, passport, etcetera, builds a robust digital identity that describes you and your place in the world in great detail. Unfortunately, because these identities are assigned to you and linking them is not under your control, details about you and your place in the world are rapidly becoming public and easily discovered by people who will use the information to harm and manipulate you.
Some digital identities can be chosen. One of my email addresses is johnkdavis at hotmail dot com. I chose it, and because it was chosen it has expanded utility for me. It communicates something about me and tells people that I have an account with a web-based email service. An email address works fine even if it is a random belch of characters, but being able to choose gives me power and adds value.
My other email address is mail at johnkdavis dot net. This time the domain is mine, too. I own it, and owning the full email address expands my choice and gives me even more power and greater value. I am in control of much more--the domain registrar, mail server, storage location, etcetera--and I use this control to benefit financially and expand my sense of well-being.
This is the key point--your digital identity is important, it is mostly assigned to you and most of it is not currently under your control. It would make us much more powerful if the container that holds our digital identity was in our control and if we could agree to work only with those who will respect the limits we place on it. And, to make this control truly meaningful, the fewer “silos” of digital identity there are, the better it would be for us.
Digital identity is now emerging as the central component of all future networking environments. We will soon be able to put pressure on current systems to accept a digital identity we control. We may have to share control in some circumstances, but we ought to be able to limit the information that is shared.
It will be a battle royal because a lot of very powerful interests would like to control the digital identity landscape. These players will be fighting one another and us. It is during this early battle period when everything is up for grabs that we have a chance to gain substantial control.
Opportunities to choose a robust digital identity will soon be available. I will do my best to promote those opportunities that will empower us.
