CIAM Innovation

The current state of e-commerce is defined by a mutual dependency between consumers and companies. While the former is allowed access to free and customized services, the latter enjoys the economic advantage following the immense collection and use of individuals’ personal data. However, this exchange of “freedoms” often masks power and information asymmetries, where the data subjects perceive a loss of control and an affected free choice. As a solution to these challenges, legal scholars and policymakers sought both non-market and market-oriented mechanisms to restore the control of the consumers over personal information and digital identities. Furthermore, the emerging personal information management systems have been argued to provide the necessary protective architectures for strengthening the position of the data subjects in the modern information markets. The aim of this presentation is to analyze the concept of consumer sovereignty in the context of PIMS and the role of these trusted intermediaries in shaping the digital identities. Reflecting to a high extent the traditional property rhetoric, these data management services might reinforce the unhealthy habits of data monetization. Additionally, the individualistic approach regarding the subject of such control, featured in the personal data stores, appears to rely on a structure of “shared” management, raising additional trust and data protection concerns.

Key Takeaways:

- mapping the development and the role of PIMS in the information marketplace;
- identifying the misunderstandings regarding consumer control over personal data and digital identities in the context of PIMS;
- discussing how the control rights provided by GDPR can be effectively implemented on these data management platforms;
- reflecting on both individualistic and collective dimensions of consumer control: building self-sovereign identities in architectures of mutual trust.