In today’s digital landscape, most people assume they have control over their online

identity. After all, they log in, choose settings, and occasionally click “accept” on a privacy

policy. But that sense of control is largely an illusion. In practice, digital identity is fractured

across platforms, owned by centralized entities, and managed according to opaque rules

that prioritize monetization over privacy.

This isn’t just an issue of convenience—it’s a crisis of control. When identity is managed by

third parties and manipulated without the user’s understanding or ability to intervene,

we’re not talking about privacy anymore. We’re talking about surveillance.