What is digital identity?
It is all the information about a person, an individual, that you can find on the internet. This information, left over from browsing, is collected by search engines like Google and published. This information can be voluntary (blogs, forums, forms) or involuntary (IP address, geographical location, search history, keywords, cookies) during online activities.
Digital identities or IDNs can be created with: pseudonyms, names, pictures, videos, IP addresses, favorites, comments, etc. These virtual identities are created through social networks such as Facebook or Twitter or through blog posts. All kinds of websites also create an identity so that you are recognizable and present online.
Our digital footprint can be captured when :
- Creating content: writing blogs, asking questions in forums, filling in forms
- Using social networks: reading and writing posts, validation, and social recognition
- Surfing the internet: simply browsing a website, using search engines, browsing product websites.
This digital footprint gives us an image of ourselves that more or less corresponds to reality, which we call e-evaluation. Our e-image depends on the image we create of ourselves and, to a large extent, on the opinion others have of us. This identity on the internet, therefore, influences e-recognition, how internet users perceive a person.
In short, digital identity is the image you show on the Internet, your virtual and dematerialized image.
Types of digital identity?
One can easily create three distinct categories of digital identity corresponding to the origins of the different sources and the information disclosed:
- The declarative identity: various information that has been declared by the person or entity concerned. With various information about the nature of the subject, about his or her marital status and about other very objective elements.
- The calculated identity: results from the various analyses carried out on the acting identity. The conclusions thus make it possible to establish a profile of the individual or of a service with which he is affiliated.
- The acting identity: determined by the different actions carried out on the web by the user. Thus, it will be possible to make a trace of the latter by observing his attitudes and habits from his personal account.
Moreover, this information is a real gold mine for some companies, which use mass data as very instructive statistics at the commercial level. A question arises: where does the right to privacy and private data end?
Risks of digital identity?
But this data, which is available to everyone, is a permanent risk for users and for the protection of their privacy.
- The information remains on the Internet, even after having deleted it oneself. This is why it is preferable to think carefully before leaving a digital trace. This is useful in order to avoid all the negative consequences of a bad e-reputation.
- Risks of usurpation of identity thanks to the information left on the internet. Identity theft consists in fraudulently using the personal information of a living person without his knowledge, to pretend to be him. The impersonator can also retrieve bank details and make expenses in the individuals name. They can also impersonate a person with friends and family and destroy their life.
It is estimated that there are 200,000 identity theft cases per year in France.
How to manage a digital identity online?
Here are some reflexes to help you avoid risks to your image and e-awareness:
- Manage your social media privacy settings.
Social networks are full of information and basic settings don’t protect you enough. If you don’t make certain changes, you put yourself at risk of digital identity theft.
- Change your password
Nowadays, there are relatively easy ways to get a password. By changing your password regularly, you can make this task easier and make your personal and business data a little more secure.
- Don’t click on any links
« Phishing is a common way of obtaining information. A cybercriminal poses as a trusted company or person to send a fake email or website.
By Tendry Randriamparany
If you enjoyed this article, please check out this website to learn more about digital identity and make sure to read my article about the use of social networks for brands.
