Digital Personae and Profiles as Representations of Individuals

This paper explores the concepts of digital personae and profiles and the way they represent individuals. Even though their manifestation as data sets seems similar, they originate in different ways. The differences between the two forms of digital representations have major implications for their connection and application to known individuals. Digital personae are connected to known individuals in the real world, whereas profiles are not. However, different types of identification can establish the connection between a profile and an offline individual. A profile can then transform into a digital persona. The differences between digital personae and profiles have implications for the applicability of data protection regulations and influence the amount of control individuals have over their representations and decisions based on these. This paper shows the relation between digital personae and profiles and indicates where privacy and autonomy of individuals can be at stake.