Topic 2: Discuss the arguments for and against having more than one online identity

UOSM 2033 – Topic 2: Discuss the arguments for and against having more than one online identity

What is an online identity?

The first step in this discussion is to ascertain what is meant by a digital identity, a difficult task given the broadness of the concept at hand. Warburton (2010) uses a spectrum of examples, ranging from simple authentication of an online banking transaction using a unique code, to online personas lived out through blogs or Facebook, with self-controlled exposure. While helpful in providing a spectrum for open online activity, I feel that this does not encapsulates the anonymity of online presence and the ramifications it has. To me, an online identity is the data that a user chooses to share about oneself online, be it factual or not, leading to the idea that multiple online identities can be related or separate.

Advantages and disadvantages of multiple online identities

I feel it is wrong to label the externalities of having multiple identities as pros and cons, as the issues are multifaceted, bringing either advantages or disadvantages depending on the context and how they are used.

Case in point is the Internet Society’s (undated) idea of partial identities. Most internet users will inevitably have multiple online identities credited to data shared on different websites i.e. Amazon has information on the type of things that you buy and Spotify on the type of music you listen to. The benefit of this is that individuals are not required to disclose their whole identity for every website, meaning that different identities can be kept separate, despite attempts to collate online identities into one (Clear, 2014). The disadvantage of this is the greater risk of information being gained through hacking. This isn’t an issue with data on music listened to, but does become a problem when private information like home addresses are targeted. Data like this is quite routinely shared in partial online identities, and so increases the risk of it being accessed (Warburton, 2010; Woollaston, 2014; Buchanan, 2014).

A similar attribute of multiple identities that also comes with pros and cons is the idea of freedom of expression. The CECM (2003) states that users are free to not disclose their identities if they please. While this is impossible if users wish to sign up to social networks like Facebook or Google (Krotoski, 2012), comments sections of blogs and website can be made anonymously, and the now infamous 4chan does not require users to sign up. Some argue that this anonymity is integral to human rights, in particular the freedom of expression without risk of persecution (Runnegar, 2013) which I agree with, however it also allows for a lack of accountability. Online trolling is now such a serious issue that the government is considering quadrupling the maximum jail term (Watt, 2014), and there has been furious debate surrounding the anonymous hacking and leaking of hundreds of celebrity photos on 4chan in recent weeks, as well as the notorious activities that occur on the dark web. These users cannot be traced easily, and it becomes easy to be someone else when you’re anonymous.

To conclude, it is not a case of for and against arguments in having online identities, but rather looking at the context within which they exist.

References:

Buchanan, R, T. (2014) ‘Jennifer Lawrence nude pictures leak sparks fear of more celebrity hackings: ‘A flagrant violation of privacy’’. The Independent (Online). 1^st September.

CECM. (Council of Europe Committee of Ministers) (2003) ‘Declaration on Freedom of Communication on the Internet’. 840^th Meeting of the Council of Europe.

Clear, M (2014) ‘Why should I reveal my ‘true identity’ online? Anonymity isn’t so terrible’. The Guardian (Online). 15^th January.

Internet Society (undated) ‘Online Identity Overview’. (Video). [Online; Available: http://www.internetsociety.org/online-identity-overview]

Krotoski, A. (2012) ‘Online identity: is authenticity or anonymity more important?’. The Guardian (Online). 19^th April.

Runnegar, C. (2013) ‘To be or not to be identified: Hamlet’s quandary in the digital era’. Thematic Workshop organised by the Internet Society at the WSIS Forum. Internet Society.

Warburton, S. (2010) ‘Rhizone: Digital Identity Matters’. Kings College London. London.

Watt, N (2014) ‘Internet trolls face four times longer in jail, Chris Grayling pledges’. The Guardian (Online). 19^th October.

Woollaston, V. (2014) ‘Hackers demand £24,000 from Domino’s Pizza in return for stolen passwords and email addresses’. Mail Online. 16^th June.