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Name: John Allen
From: North Dakota
Bio: internet user, observant human being
Area of Expertise: Author/Editor/Journalist
Topic: Privacy
Headline: Identification necessary
Nutshell: Biometric identification will become necessary for online intactions, whether economic or legal.
The internet as it currently exists still provides for an incredible amount of anonymity. While safeguards are increasing, identity theft online is far easier than assuming the identity of an individual in the REAL world. With but a minimal amount of information you can become ‘Mr. X’ and perform transactions of all types in his name. This will have to change in order for the online world to grow in prominance as many have forseen it. The concept of e-voting especially begs for a new level of security. Because the natural world still provides the most complex measures to determine identity (retinal or fingerprint scans) these securities will most likely be biometrically based. As bandwidth increases and biometric interfaces becoming more and more readily available, credit card companies and govt interaction alike will begin to take biometrics to ensure identity and increase security. With this data readily available, other forums will begin to require such identification in order ensure identity and safeguard themselves from liability for potential illegal behavior at their sites. The ultimate extension will be an internet environment different than exists today, mirroring the REAL world in responsibility for actions. "CrioKnight" will be identified to be John Doe. This will serve to make the ‘legitimate’ internet much more like American culture: cookie cutter formality which reinforces the status quo. It will also lead to the existance of an ‘underground’ interent where anonymity will be the prime goal. Although this sounds dystopic, it will lead to an internet more in line with American society where illegal behavior is as difficult to engage in as it is in the airbreathing world and the forums for free speech will exist as they still do. Our free speech safeguards will continue to do their job and legitimate dissent will continue as always. ‘The New Yorker’ online will still exist. But it will be harder to engage in actions which most of us wouldn’t dream of doing in every day life that are far, far too easy in our current environment. But this will stabilize communication and interaction, allowing the internet to mature into a true world forum where ideas can flow without the cachophony of drivel that innudates search engines now.
Date Submitted: November 10, 2004