Changing Relevance of Trust in Digital Worlds

Abstract

For some time now, the utopian vision for the Internet has—among all the positive aspects—also partially given way to a frightening reality, with mass government surveillance, mass collection of personal data, constant data breaches, burgeoning fake messages and rampant commercialism. And instead of creating a trust structure, the economic incentives of today’s Internet have created a system where privacy and profitability often contradict each other. We are no longer the users… we became the product! At the same time, trust seems to decrease wherever you look. Several studies have shown a continuing loss of trust between people and governments, NGOs, media and companies over the last few years. When consumers are asked about their expectations of the role of a CEO in any company, they often give top priority to ‘securing trust’ over all other factors, including the quality of products and services. The ongoing digital transformation is to some extent complicit in this implosion of trust, but as so often, technology is both the problem and the solution. This contribution will look at the complex concepts of trust, the current state of trust in general and what can be done to overcome this challenge in Digital Times.