Identify this

Recent research (1) seems to bring back an old idea – let the user completely control her identity and the authentication mechanism, reducing identity theft and loss of anonymity & trust. Their article in the International Journal of Security and Networks seems to suggest that a large number of user controlled pseudonyms may do the trick. With identity knowledge limited to the user and a network authority server, the authors argue that the situation will improve. However, it is unclear if such a process will make the user's life any simpler in a world of increasing complexity driven by exploding personas and applications.

Developments in this area have been slow. Social behemoths have been focused on increasing revenues and in the process paid little attention to the trust of the user. Recent revelations that the googling eyes could not help inserting code into the "secure" safari on mobile phones to syphon off information of the users did not come as a surprise to those who have been watching this space. A culture of prying eyes is difficult to change and such a loss of trust will never be gained back. As long as the social network leaders consider consumers as a proxy for this quarter's profits, they will continue to degrade the environment of trust. This has huge implications for the future development of digital interactions and consumer experience. Only better technology can prevent the information monopolists from creating and implementing policies that destroy the future potential. 

Space travel, self driving cars and green energy are socially responsible ideas – but keeping the promise to the consumer or at the very least not stealing their information could be even better.

(1) Who goes there? Published: Friday, February 17, 2012 - 16:38 in Mathematics & Economics. Source: Inderscience Publishers