Identity crisis: user perspectives on multiplicity and control in federated identity management

The research presented in this paper reports on three phases of an empirical user study that examines the relationship between identity and technology using contextual interviews, focus groups and cultural probes. The study revealed that federated systems potentially have real relevance for users who are increasingly willing to supply information and even sacrifice their privacy if they are given the capability to ‘take charge’ of their digital self. Even when users exhibit an ideological opposition to the information about themselves being compiled into single composite, the data revealed the need for convenience overrides their need for privacy. However, failure to provide control results in the erosion of trust between the users and the provider and culminates in a culture of use where the user aims to suppress rather than reveal information.