The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has released a report called Digital footprints and identities, which shows that many Australians maintain three distinct online identities:

• a social identity – used for social networking, and often including photos and other personal data that is shared with their online communities (e.g., Facebook)
• a transactional identity – the minimum identity information required by financial institutions, insurance companies, online retailers or government agencies to complete a specific task (e.g., a bank)
• a professional identity – a positive picture of one’s skills, experience or business offering (e.g., LinkedIn).

“This research suggests Australians balance the rewards and risks of engaging in the online world and are putting some considerable thought into the construction of their digital identities,” said ACMA Chairman Chris Chapman.

“With personal data becoming a key asset in the digital economy, protecting against unwanted intrusions, embarrassment and financial loss is crucial to how individuals successfully manage their online interactions.

“Some Australians respond to unwelcome demands for online information by going to another service. But a significant number (47%) – rising to 64% of those aged 18 to 24 –adopt a digital disguise by providing inaccurate or misleading information about themselves, effectively relying on anonymity and pseudonymity for protection.”

The report also indicates that most of us (65%) are managing between five and 50 login and password combinations for day-to-day online activities. Not surprisingly, half of us (51%) sometimes have difficulty managing these. The research also suggests that Australians want to know more about why and how their personal information will be used, while almost half agree they are primarily responsible for protecting their online identity data.

“Just as in the physical world, Australians want control over the way they share information about who they are and what they do online,’ said Chapman. He said there are a number of strategies to help Australians take control of their online identities including conducting a personal identity audit and consider using Privacy Enhancing tools (PETs) such as digital key-chains and password vaults. These are discussed in another ACMA report, Managing your digital identity, which offers advice to consumers.

The Digital footprints and identities research is a product of the ACMA’s program that identifies communications and media matters of continuing significance to society, markets and government. This research aims to understand the behaviours and attitudes relevant to the creation, use and management of an individual’s digital identity; the management of digital information online; and what makes an individual willing to provide personal information online.

The two reports ACMA has released about digital footprints and identities are:

• Digital footprints and identities—Community attitudinal research report: A detailed report of the qualitative and quantitative research undertaken by Taverner Research.
• Managing your digital identity—Digital footprints and identities research, Short report 1: Looks at strategies available to Australians to manage their digital identities.

The two remaining papers in the series, to be published over the coming weeks, will discuss further details on the research:

• Sharing digital identity—Digital footprints and identities research, Short report 2: The implications of consumer online behaviour and attitudes for service providers.
• Identity and responsibility—Digital footprints and identities research, Short report 3: Looks at Australians’ expectations about responsibility for managing personal data.

These four reports also contribute to the ACMA’s research program on digital society to identify the regulatory settings and interventions that help citizens protect their personal information and digital data in an information economy.

All reports are available on the ACMA website: www.acma.gov.au