Citizens and customers are increasingly losing confidence and trust in their governments and the corporations that develop and deliver online services. From AI to crypto marketplaces to the Internet of Things (IoT), personal data leaks to unethical use of data analytics to supply chain breaches, technology vendors’ and digital service providers’ repeated failures have severely damaged the trust model at the core of their relationships with their customers. There’s no doubt that digitalisation can drive human, social, and economic development. Simultaneously, surveys and research have shown a concerning decrease in trust in online platforms and associated social institutions.
Today, I presented at the Development Dialogue Seminar of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) on the topic of building a digital trust model. The backdrop for the discussion was what many see as the ‘Caribbean Cybersecurity Pandemic’ – The avalanche of cyberattacks that have impacted private and public sector entities across the region – and how this correlates to the decrease in trust and limited uptake by citizens of online services (e.g., e-commerce, e-government, social media, fintech, and others).
Leveraging the World Economic Forum’s Digital Trust Framework, I discussed the key goals and dimensions (e.g., security, reliability, accountability, oversight, ethical use, privacy, fairness, redressability, etc.) underpinning digital trust as well as the capabilities needed to operationalise them.
Check out my presentation and let me know your thoughts!
Niel Harper 