In 2025, few tasks are carried out without the use of digital technology. Opening a bank account, applying for a job, ordering a product, registering for a training course, consulting medical results: behind each of these actions lies a key question – is the person behind the screen who they say they are?
Digital identity is therefore becoming the backbone of the connected world. It condenses our personal data, our ‘technical’ fingerprints (device fingerprinting), our behaviours and our interactions. It is at once a recognition tool, a shield against fraud and a key to accessing services.
1 . Defining digital identity:
Unlike civil identity, which is established and certified by the state, digital identity takes many forms. It is based on four main dimensions:
- Declarative data: surname, first name, email address, telephone number, address. This information is provided voluntarily, but can be misused/“imitated”.
- Technical fingerprints: each connected device generates a unique signature (IP address, configuration, sensors, time zones, cookies). These signals, invisible to the naked eye, become valuable clues for recognising a user.
- Behaviour: typing speed, connection times, location, frequency of service use. These elements are more difficult to falsify and constitute a behavioural signature that is almost biometric.
- Social and economic interactions: history of contact, payment and browsing data use. This data builds a coherent narrative… or, conversely, reveals inconsistencies typical of fraudulent events.
- An identity in flux
Unlike a national identity card, which is fixed at the time of issue, digital identity is dynamic. Every connection, every payment, every interaction enriches this digital portrait. This dynamic provides robustness – it is difficult to simulate a consistent digital life over time – but also raises ethical questions:
How much data should be collected without infringing on privacy?
How can we ensure that users retain control over their digital identity?
What safeguards should be put in place to prevent widespread surveillance?
The GDPR in Europe and the concept of ‘self-sovereign identity’ attempt to provide answers. But the balance between security, fluidity and respect for individual freedoms remains fragile.
- Why has this concept become so important?
Two major trends explain its growing importance. .
- Widespread digitalisation: smartphones have become our universal access point. From public services to healthcare, everything is now digital. Initiatives such as France Identité and the European eIDAS 2.0 regulation aim to create digital identities that are recognised at national and supranational level.
- A boom in 100% web-based crime: identity fraud is skyrocketing. The concept of ‘synthetic identity’ illustrates this trend. Fraudsters assemble pieces of real and invented data to create fake profiles capable of fooling traditional controls.
In this context, the ability to assess the credibility of a digital identity is becoming strategic for banks, insurers, retailers and also for governments.
In a nutshell…
Digital identity is constantly evolving: shaped by our usage, regulated by legislation, scrutinised for its security and commercial value. But this dynamic is not without its challenges. In the second part, we will address the multiple issues it raises – security, trust, sovereignty, inclusion – and the prospects that could redefine our relationship with identity by 2030.
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