Davos 2019 – Press Conference The Value of Digital Identity for the Global Economy and Society

As a 20-year-old university student who lives alone, social media and digital platforms are a huge part of my daily life. Whether I’m logging into my banking app, streaming lectures, or just scrolling through Instagram, my digital identity is constantly being used to verify who I am. The 2019 World Economic Forum (WEF) press conference, The Value of Digital Identity for the Global Economy and Society, made me reflect on how much of my personal information exists online and who controls it. There is more to digital identity than a username and password. In a world that is becoming more and more digital, data collection is what demonstrates who we are. Experts talked about how digital identities can boost financial access, enhance government services, and lower fraud at Davos 2019. All that sounds fantastic, but there are drawbacks as well, such as privacy concerns, monitoring, and the potential for these systems to exclude those without access to technology. It got me thinking: How much control do I have over my identity if businesses already know so much about me?

One thing that stood out to me is how different cultures approach digital identity. In places like the EU, regulations like GDPR try to protect users’ privacy, while countries like India focus more on inclusion, using biometric-based systems like Aadhaar to ensure people can access essential services. However, what occurs when privacy and security conflict? Is digital identity simply another tool used by governments and corporations to monitor us, or should it be a right? As young people who have grown up online, I believe we should be asking these kinds of questions more frequently. As someone studying digital literacy, this discussion reinforced how important it is to be aware of how our digital identities are being used. We must take more proactive steps to protect ourselves, whether that means reading the fine print on social media policies or comprehending how our data is stored. Future developments will only increase the significance of digital identity, so it is our responsibility to promote safe, fair, and open networks.