Identity management on the web...IGF

This workshop changed my views on the need, social implications and effectiveness of identity management on portal and social networking sites.

There were diverse perspectives from Industry(google), acedemia, government and civil society(NGO's). The undercurrent of this session was around safegaurding freedom of choice while ensuring age verification and filtering.

These are complex, difficult and competing objectives. Even simple suggestions like Default setting of restrictive access to senstive information like age, sex, religion and political leanings has met with concerns of lack of choice.

Inernet is a difficult place vulnerable sections of the society like children and young people. the self determination approch suggested by the korean Sunyoung Yong was both effective and crisp.

She shared the two social networking sites from Korea. the first was similair to Facebook and Myspace fairly restricitve and second one DCinside...

The DCinside example was unique and compelling... It was based on the concept of identity what you want it to be online. it is not who you are but what what you do is the identifier. even if there are fake post and barges...they will eliminated by the community.
Sunyoung Yong Excerpts:
"Identity is a social construction...
Users are anonymous to enjoy the freedom of expression...
Reputation is the key to enabling autonomous expression..."

Marco from google italy expressed commitment to child safe online, he explained about default safe search, child safety booklets, video informed consent forms and undercontruction child safety portal.

Legal Expert explained the legal angle to Identity Management in terms of Acceptance and importance of informed consent.

The critical questions like, What if a Minor is clicking the "I agree button" - can it be considered qualified informed consent..

the Swedesh government represntative emphasized the importance self regulation by the industry. He stressed need for Walled gardens for Kids and creation safe environments for young childrens by implementing labeling systems. He acknowledged the risk of these labling systems that may enable Censorship. While law should be last resorts, He concluded by establishing that vulnerbale groups need laws to be it both parents or children.