Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community
It's an issue that's emerging in different ways in different sectors, but it's also an issue that - because of new technology - won't go away. At some point, it seems to me, a universal digital identification is inevitable, partially because we already have it for the most part (think, for example, of the unique identification your social insurance or security number, street address and phone number provide), and partially because a single scheme uniting these identities is much cheaper and more effective. Now I know a lot of people, such as the author of this article, are concerned about Big Brother and privacy implications. But I have to say to them: the scheme is already in place - that's what data mining gets you. But it's completely unregulated; there's no protection now because there's no official recognition that it already exists. I say: let's get this in the open, establish an identity system, and institute the safeguards now.

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
stephen@downes.ca

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Last Updated: Mar 28, 2024 12:21 p.m.

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