Top Books on Digital Identity: Insights and Innovations for the Future

Nurturing a deep understanding of digital identity is essential for anyone passionate about navigating the current technological landscape. This comprehensive review of five key books will provide insights into data privacy, identity management, and the emerging trends in digital identity. These books, published by notable experts in the field, will help you stay at the forefront of this evolving domain.

1. Identity Reboot: Reimagining Data Privacy for the 21st Century

Author: Arwen Smit Publisher: Basic Books

Focus: Data privacy and the role of global corporations in exploiting personal data. Smit explores the gap in the internet’s identity framework and offers tools for change.

This book delves deeply into the current state of digital identity, highlighting the Cambridge Analytica scandal, the 2016 US Presidential election, and Brexit. Smit presents a compelling view of how these events reveal the vulnerabilities in the current digital identity framework. She argues that the internet lacks a cohesive identity model, which has been filled by global companies, leading to data exploitation for profit and power.

Identity Reboot also discusses key policy solutions and technologies such as blockchain and AI. Smit offers a framework for moving forward, providing a roadmap for change.

2. Self-Sovereign Identity: Decentralised Digital Identity and Verifiable Credentials

Authors: Alex Preukschat, Drummond Reed Publisher: MIT Press

Focus: Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) and its implementation through decentralized digital identities and verifiable credentials built on the blockchain.

As SSI momentum builds, this book serves as an accessible guide for understanding its concepts and practical applications. Preukschat and Reed break down technical jargon and provide real-world use cases, such as gaming, healthcare, and democracy. They explore the role of decentralized credentials in various industries, showcasing the potential of SSI to enhance privacy, consent, and transparency.

3. Technically Wrong: Sexist Apps, Biased Algorithms, and Other Threats of Toxic Technology

Author: Sara Wachter-Boettcher Publisher: Basic Books

Focus: Unintentional biases in technologies and apps, particularly the lack of diversity in tech company teams.

This book is a wake-up call, highlighting the unintended biases in many technologies and apps. Wachter-Boettcher argues that the root cause of these biases is the homogeneity within tech company teams. She provides both well-known and lesser-known case studies to illustrate these points.

From algorithms that do not recognize black faces to apps that are not accessible to people with disabilities, Wachter-Boettcher’s insights are eye-opening and deeply relevant to the digital identity sector. She emphasizes the urgency of improving diversity in tech product development to address these issues.

4. A Framework for Understanding Identity Systems in Contemporary Society

Author: Kaliya Young Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic

Focus: Comprehensively outlining 16 domains of identity, each representing a different category of interaction throughout our lives.

Young's book provides a deep dive into identity management, offering a detailed overview of the various domains that impact our personal data. She distinguishes between domains like healthcare, enterprise data security, and government biometrics, arguing that each should be considered independently.

This book is valuable for understanding the complexities of identity management and the importance of addressing each domain’s unique challenges. It highlights the importance of considering the 'individual' at the center of these domains, even as data continues to be collected in the often-unexpected spaces of the data broker industry and illicit markets.

5. The Currency Cold War: Cash and Cryptography, Hash Rates, and Hegemonies

Author: David Birch Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Focus: The future of money, including cryptocurrencies, CBDCs, and digital money, placing digital currency in a broader geopolitical context.

Birch’s book is a forward-looking analysis of the monetary systems of the future. With his expertise, he explores the inevitability of an overhaul in our current monetary system and the critical role of a global digital identity infrastructure for enabling due diligence in e-money payment systems.

Far from just a technical discussion, Birch delves into the political and geographical dimensions of digital currency. He examines the conflicts of political power and private company interests that drive the development of new currencies, providing a holistic view of the future of digital money.

Conclusion

These five books offer a wealth of knowledge and insights into the evolving field of digital identity. Whether you are a tech enthusiast, a policy maker, or a researcher, these books will enrich your understanding of this crucial topic. Stay informed and stay ahead in the digital identity landscape with these essential reads.