Digital Identity

Abstract

According to the records on “digital trust” from ACSEL, which is an acronym for the French Digital Economy Association, French Internet users used an average of 16.4 digital IDs in 2013, compared to 12.2 in 2009. By digital ID, we mean information – like login and password – needed to activate an account, but also any traces left by an individual due to their activities or technological devices (IP address, photos, types of purchase, etc.). Ninety percent of Internet users use their digital IDs to access e-administration and e-commerce services, 8% for online banking, and 77% for social networks. The same ACSEL study measures the risks perceived by Internet users with regard to their digital ID and observes that 42% of them fear errors with their ID (compared to 34% in 2009) and 40% misuse of their data. It is important to know that the French are victims of 400,000 identity thefts per year on average. ACSEL argues that an Internet user’s “breaking point with regards to trust” occurs “when the risks perceived by the user are considered to be greater than the use value of a digital service”.