&
Citizen’s perceptions on digital
identity
Dr Elpida Prasopoulou
University of Essex
Citizens perspectives on digital identity
Which taboos and desires will inform our responses
to future technologies of identification and
authentication?
Why do we refuse ID-cards...but love our
customer loyalty programs?
Why are we concerned about electronic
patient files…..but share many personal
What is digital identity?
How people feel about their personal
information
Technologies for identification/authentication
Desires and taboos that will inform people’s
responses to identification technologies
Digital identity is the sum of all digitally
available
information
about an
individual
Sourced from
government,
security,
industry, health,
pop culture,
science fiction,
art and design,
high tech and
gadgets
Year 1: Scenarios of identity management
Putting individuals in different contexts with different IMTs at the centre.
Year 2: Public (dis)engagement UK
Four large-scale empirical studies running consecutively
General public but also targeted population segments
Elites
General public
Vulnerable groups
Q-study
Survey
Explore how society understands biometrics
Public understanding of biometric technologies –
Reconstruction of main discourses
Examine how specific biometrics technologies are
seen in the context of everyday life
What uses of biometrics are acceptable to
identify yourself in everyday life?
Research design
Two on-line studies:
– Students (lay experts): 2 x 30 respondents, potential for comparative studies across countries in future steps
– Experts in biometrics: 30 experts on biometrics drawn from the biometrics industry, think tanks, civil society
organisation, privacy advocates and governmental bodies
Respondents were asked to sort a set of 50 statements according to whether they agreed or disagreed with them
Statements - Core themes
Statements where
sources from
government reports,
civil society reports,
academic articles,
specialized press
identity,
empowerment,
surveillance,
accountability
security
Findings: Four main factors/viewpoints
All of the respondents clearly agreed with one of the statements:
‘In the wrong hands, biometrics have the potential to violate privacy’
Four different viewpoints clustered around this main statement Factor A Privacy vigilants Factor D Casual adopters Factor B Conservative techies Factor C Safety champions
Privacy vigilants
‘
I have the right to be forgotten, to be free and
unfollowed
’
Concerned about the development and spread of new biometric technologies
Representative statements:
– With each new development in biometric technologies, users are getting less control over their data, in terms of knowing when, where, and why it is used
– The idea that there may be new biometric technologies that can identify me without me ever knowing, makes me uncomfortable
• They are rather sceptical towards the technological capability of biometrics
See biometrics as a powerful instrument in the hands of governments and corporations
They cluster around issues of accountability and
empowerment: 1. Data linkage
2. User control over data (when, where and by whom it is used)
3. Use of biometric data without explicit consent 4. Effects of these technologies on existing everyday
practices
They are favourable to practices of contestation (i.e. sousveillance)
Conservative techies
‘
First technology, then security must be perfected –
when this is done, then I would feel that the
benefits would make it worth having a biometric ID
’
Cautious users
: positive to government uses of
biometrics although concerned about privacy and the
possibility for data leakage (i.e. medical information)
But, happy for biometric technologies to be used
They see biometrics as an alternative to multiple passwords
Tech savvy: they favour uses of biometrics in personal devices (e.g. Smartphones)
Mobile phone owners should be prepared to download gait
recognition software on their phones to prevent others accessing their information in the event of theft or loss
Positive to the use of biometrics for personnel management
Hand geometry or fingerprinting for capturing labour data
Concerned about ‘souveillance’: e.g. the use of smartphones to record police action
Safety champions
‘Biometrics is a guarantee of security for all the
global community’
This groups shares similar concerns with Factor A
They are preoccupied by the possibility of
data linkage
and the use of their biometric data for
unrelated
purposes
However, they are quite favourable for the use of
biometrics for
border control
and security purposes
(digital passports, the use of biometrics for immigration
processing)
Factor C also is against
surveillance
and advocates an
active
form of
citizenship
to counter such phenomena
However, it differentiates between
types of biometrics
Iris scanning is more acceptable than fingerprint recognition, since it does not have criminal associations
It is also favourable to biometrics for
domestic uses
Interestingly enough it is the only group that is not
negative to the use of biometrics in
on-line social
networks
Casual Adopters
‘Biometric is based on technology continuously
verified and is the result of the best scientific
research’
Factor D has an
instrumental
view of biometrics
•
Adherents to this viewpoint see biometrics as technical
solution to a variety of problems ranging from
multiple
passwords
to
fraud
and
immigration control
•
It should be noted that casual adopters expressed also
trust
in existing
technological solutions
for biometrics
•
They also see some types of biometrics especially face
recognition as a
gadget
All four viewpoints are anchored around specific
understandings of the relationship between identity and
personal data
Identity and biometrics
Factor Views on identity
Privacy vigilants Digital identity becomes a constrain to personal freedom Technological solutions rigidify social interactions
Biometrics need to be resisted Conservative techies Body as natural password
Biometrics for convenience/protection of personal devices as along as data is protected and not used for unrelated purposes Safety champions Identity is related primarily with formal, institutional purposes
(e.g. border control)
Biometrics acceptable in this context. Also acceptable for safety reasons (seemingly this use is unrelated to personal data)
Casual adopters Not well formed conception of digital identity
Biometrics are seen just another identification technologies. No real concerns expressed
Privacy
Factor Views on privacy
Privacy vigilants Their view of privacy is the traditional, legal one which views privacy as an individual right but also a societal good that needs to be protected
Conservative techies Privacy equals protection of personal data contained in personal devices such as smartphones
Sensitive to the idea of biometrics disclosing medical information
Safety champions Privacy is not hampered as long as biometric data collected in different contexts is not aggregated (contextual integrity) Casual adopters Privacy as we know it a thing of the past
They think the technological infrastructures in place are secure enough for such personal and unique data. ow it a thing of the past
