Data identity: privacy and the construction of self

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

This paper argues in favor of a hybrid conception of identity. A common conception of identity in datafied society is a split between a digital self and a real self, which has resulted in concepts such as the data double, algorithmic identity, and data shadows. These data-identity metaphors have played a significant role in the conception of informational privacy as control over information—the control of or restricted access to your digital identity. Through analyses of various data-identity metaphors as well as philosophical accounts of identity, we argue in favor of a hybrid conception of identity that emphasizes the relations between the ‘real’ and the ‘digital’. A hybrid conception of identity—where the digital is an aspect on par with social relations, self-understanding, and values—ultimately calls for an understanding of privacy as the right to influence one’s own identity.
Original languageEnglish
Article number492
JournalSynthese - An international journal for epistemology, methodology and philosophy of science
Volume200
Issue number6
ISSN0039-7857
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 21 Nov 2022

ID: 326629315