What is digital identity?

The definition of digital identity refers to the set of information or data that we publish on the Internet and that is accessible to other users of the network. All the actions or behaviors that we carry out in the digital environment contribute to creating our online reputation and the image that others have of us.

Personal identity in the physical or analog world is made up of personal data such as name, age, sex, and other data present in the DNI or in other information that the administrations have about us. However, the digital identity adds to this data all the information about us present on the network: access data, images, videos, publications in forums, websites or social networks, contacts and a long etcetera.

Every action that is carried out on the Internet leaves a trace, which is called a digital footprint . This fingerprint is the clue that any user must follow to know our digital identity. Sometimes it’s as simple as doing a simple Google search and seeing the results that appear about us.

Since the entry into force in Europe of the GDPR and the LOPDGDD in Spain, digital identity has legal recognition and includes rights such as forgetfulness or limitation of treatment.

Digital identity characteristics

Let’s see what are some of the main characteristics of digital identity:

• Social: it is built through the interaction or recognition of others because of our behavior on the internet and social networks.
• Subjective: others can perceive the person in one way or another based on the information generated in the network.
• Indirect: it does not allow knowing a person, only the references that exist about him in the network.
• Valuable: Many companies research a person’s digital identity to create profiles.
• Dynamic: digital identity is constantly evolving.
• Composite: the digital identity is not only built based on the trace left by the person himself, but also by the contributions of third parties about it.

What makes up my digital identity on the Internet?

You may have a more or less approximate idea of ​​the basic data that make up your digital identity, but you still keep asking yourself: “what other data or information make up my digital identity ?”, since, as we have said above, digital identity is built through different factors.

Thus, the digital identity on the Internet depends on a series of information that is available to other users:

• Usernames or nicks: the name you use when interacting on online platforms or services.
• Avatar: do you use a real image or a photo that represents you? What does your avatar say about you?
• Services you use: in analog life you are defined by factors such as the clothes you wear, the movies you watch, the sports you like, the food you eat and a thousand other factors. In the online world your image is also defined by the services you use. Are you very active on social networks? Do you participate in forums? Do you have your own website?
• Posts: The things you say online, when you say them, and how you say them also help create your digital identity.
• Contacts: who do you associate with? Do you have many or few followers? Are your Internet contacts friends or acquaintances in real life?
• Contributions and evaluations: do you interact with other content? What kind of comments do you leave? How do other users rate you?
• Links: what kind of content do you like to link to? Are you more of memes, blogs, online newspapers, official websites, etc.?

On the other hand, it should be noted that the absence of information also speaks about you. For example, if you only have a social network that you barely use, you don’t have a blog or website, or you don’t interact in forums or other communities, your internet profile will also be marked by this type of behavior.

In this conceptual map we can see schematically the data and information through which our digital identity is built:

Types of digital identity

Although in this article we are focusing on the digital identity of the person, there are other types of digital identity :

• Corporate digital identity:

It is defined as the brand image that a company or organization transmits through its actions and behaviors on the Internet. Every company with an online presence communicates its own values ​​and traits, either consciously or unconsciously.

• Sovereign digital identity:

The proliferation of information on the Internet has made it increasingly important to protect this data and keep it under control. That is where the sovereign digital identity comes in. It is a form of identity on the Internet that seeks for the user to have absolute control of their data, being able to choose who, when and how has access to them.

Most of the efforts in this field are focusing on creating a standardized system. In this situation, blockchain technology , such as the one used in the smart contract , stands out as the most effective method and the basis for this technology, thanks to the use of blockchains and cryptography.

Examples of digital identity

To illustrate what we have said about so far, let’s see some examples of digital identity .

As we have said, the digital identity is built through different data and information, as well as behavior on the Internet, so examples of personal digital identity would be the profiles on social networks of “anonymous” people, a personal blog, a channel of YouTube or a channel on Twitch. In some of these cases, the personal digital identity can even be transformed into a corporate identity or a personal brand.

An example of corporate digital identity can be found in Cabronazi (if you are a regular user of social networks, it sure sounds familiar). Cabronazi began as a social media profile dedicated to sharing memes, and today it is a company that bills hundreds of thousands of euros. It has achieved this thanks to a digital identity based on humor and irreverence. Any user knows what they are going to find if they visit their profile.

Finally, an example of a person who has been fighting for years to have a sovereign digital identity is the former water polo player Kaliya Young.

Young, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, began a fight 15 years ago to be able to manage all the activity on the network herself, without other platforms or services being able to use her information at will.

Young’s goal is to have total control of his information on the network, and to be able to transfer it anywhere in the easiest way possible. For example, passing your data from Google to Facebook, and from there to the doctor’s office or his bank.

Another of her goals is to make her data completely private, as long as she wants it. That is, prevent any service, platform, company or public administration from tracking, suspending or canceling your personal information.

Dangers for digital identity

The trail we leave on the Internet is an open door for cybercriminals to find weaknesses that allow them to access our data and carry out attacks against our privacy, through data theft or phishing techniques, which can have very negative consequences , since that personal information can be used for different purposes.

One of the biggest dangers for digital identity and, by extension, for people themselves, is identity theft , since by impersonating us, cybercriminals can not only damage our reputation online and offline, they can also steal from us. money (if they access our bank accounts), open accounts in our name, accumulate debts or commit other crimes that would be linked to our name.

How to protect my digital identity?

To avoid being victims of identity theft, we must protect our digital identity and that entails taking certain precautions when connecting and browsing the Internet.

If you want to know how to protect your digital identity , here are some tips to follow, including how to delete information about yourself on the Internet:

• Not using unprotected or public WiFi networks:

WiFi networks are not secure, you should know that by now. Especially if you are going to send some type of confidential information such as personal data, passwords, bank details, etc. Avoid connecting through public Wi-Fi connections , for example in coffee shops or airports. These types of networks do not have WPA or WEP encryption and do not have the appropriate security protocols. They are one of the most common methods hackers use to break into other people’s computers.

• Browsing secure websites:

Avoid entering web pages that do not have an SSL certificate . This certificate is an encryption system that allows information to be sent securely to the server.

The pages that use this certificate are characterized by using the https:// protocol . You will easily differentiate between them, since the url in the address bar will start with https:// instead of http://. In addition, the address will appear in green with a lock symbol next to it.

• Using only strong passwords:

Do not use passwords that are common words or related to your person, let alone others like “123456”.

It is most recommended that passwords have a minimum of 16 characters and that they combine letters, numbers and symbols . A good option is to use a program for automatic password generation.

On the other hand, it is recommended that you never use the same password on two different sites. If you use many online services and have many different passwords, we advise you to use a password manager like LastPass.

• Updating the software regularly:

The operating systems, programs and applications are periodically renewed with the aim of offering new functionalities and improving their performance. Another of the reasons for these updates is to incorporate security measures that protect the user against new threats. Therefore, it is important to always have updated software, especially antivirus programs .

• Checking all privacy policies:

We know it’s a hassle to have to read privacy policies . They are long and confusing, in fact they are made that way so you don’t read them. But don’t fall for that mistake.

As a minimum, we recommend that you enter the privacy policies of your social networks and configure all the options of your profile to your liking. From there you can decide who can see your posts, which users can write to you, who can share your content, what type of advertising you want to receive (or not) and much more.

• By electronic signature:

The electronic signature is an identification method similar to an analog signature, with the exception that it is done through biometric means, pencils and electronic screens, or by clicking the consent box with the mouse.

On the other hand, there is the digital signature, which is a secure method used by some platforms (especially official bodies) that allows the entity receiving the signature to guarantee its authenticity. The most used method is the digital identity document or electronic DNI.

• Look up your name on the Internet:

If you want to know what information about you is on the Internet, one of the ways to do it is to search for your name on the Internet, that way you can see the level of exposure of your digital identity and check how much personal information is public. For example, maybe a few years ago you made an account on some online site that you didn’t remember and you want to delete.

• Ask Google to deindex information about you:

Since the approval of the General Data Protection Regulation, (GDPR) Google has to comply with the so-called right to suppress or be forgotten . That is, the right of any citizen to have all information that is considered outdated or out of date removed from their search results, even if it was true at the time.

You can request that Google delete information about you , whether it is personal data or content about you published on other websites. The content will not be removed, but you will avoid appearing in search results.

You can request that Google remove your information from its search engine through this link . Keep in mind that Google will have to assess the request. It will not be accepted if there are reasons for it, for example if it is information of public interest or related to crimes, professional negligence or criminal convictions.

• Limit or remove personal content on social networks:

You can also limit the content that appears on social networks like Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. To do this, we recommend you go to the “Edit profile” option and from there configure all the privacy options

Keep in mind that you can also decide what content others post about you. If someone is sharing information about you without consent, you can report the content.

And the other option is to permanently delete the social network account. To do this, we recommend that you first make a backup copy of everything you have published during your activity, and then delete all your publication history. Also keep in mind that social networks such as Facebook set a period of one month for the deletion of the account, and 90 days to keep a backup copy of your data.

If you have not used a social network for a long time, it is likely that you do not remember your access data. If you know which email you registered with, you simply have to request a new password from that email. Otherwise, you will have to look for the activation email among all your emails.

• Delete your data from forums, web pages and other services:

You can also edit or delete the information you have left in forums or web pages. Normally in the user profile you have the option to edit your posts and delete your profile. Otherwise, you should contact the webmaster to remove the information you want to disappear.

In short, although maintaining anonymity on the Internet is almost impossible today, there are mechanisms to protect your privacy and digital identity.