The majority of transactions that people conduct are anonymous. There is an increasing tendency for organisations to convert hitherto anonymous transactions into identified ones. Their purpose is to increase the data-intensity of their relationships with individuals. This enables them to draw inferences about each individual's behaviour and preferences, and thereby detect behaviour that is against the organisation's interests, and manipulate the individual's behaviour. To oppose this trend is depicted as being at least unconventional, probably naive, and at least somewhat suspicious.
Identification is functionally necessary for only a small proportion of transactions.
Anonymous transactions need to remain the norm, and the tendency to associate identity with additional transactions must be resisted. Where the production of identification is made a pre-condition for conducting a particular kind of transaction, justification needs to be provided, and subjected to public examination. Where anonymity is not feasible, pseudonymous techniques should be applied. A further technological development is emerging in the area of electronic commerce. This involves 'digital signatures', and 'digital certificates' that affirm that the signature belongs to an identified person.