What is a digital identity, how to gain control over it and is it possible to become anonymous 4.8

The Internet has changed the world not only for the better. Digitalization of everything and everything has led to the uncontrolled dissemination of information, much of which would previously have remained strictly private. It’s not just about “scandals, intrigues and investigations”, which with varying success help to bring unscrupulous citizens to justice. The trouble is that most people have lost control of their personal data. Naked Science understands whether it is possible to return it, whether it will be possible to escape from “calls from the bank’s security service” and why the philosophy “I have nothing to hide, and no one is interested in me” in the modern world works against its bearer.

A huge number of details are known about each user on the Network, some of them are stored in conditionally closed databases, some are publicly available. This data is constantly operated by various services, applications and individuals. Not all of them are conscientious and harmless. The problem is that a significant part of such processes is simply not visible to the naked eye. The victim of the attackers until the very last moment, most likely, will not suspect that someone has conducted a full investigation in her or his relationship. The result is a great awareness of scammers about the most diverse aspects of the life of a person who eventually loses money. Sometimes — huge, sometimes — the last. In addition, many types of network activity have become, if not prohibited, then censured at the state level, so even law-abiding people will not be prevented from “cleaning up their tracks”.

But let’s not focus on “horror stories”.

Let’s consider the issue in a comprehensive, simple and accessible way. Let’s start with terminology so that we can continue to speak the same language. Key terms that are often confused or misused in the context of cybersecurity:

personal data (private data) — any information that its creator or the person it describes may want or wants to keep confidential (limit the circle of persons who have access to it);

personal data is any information that allows you to identify a person, or related to a person that can be clearly identified.

As can be seen from the description, both concepts are intersecting sets. But there is at least a legislative difference between them. Personal data is partially protected by the right to privacy of correspondence. Personal ones have become the “new oil”, so no matter how hard politicians try to protect them under public pressure, the interests of the modern economy counteract this.