Abstract
The term digital identity refers to the conversion of human identities into digital data. While digital identity is associated to human development outcomes such as the provision of better public services, social inclusion and humanitarian assistance, such a view is questioned by multiple narratives of digitally reinforced exclusion and marginalisation. This is even more critical today in the context of a digital age that inherits and replicates entrenched inequalities and power dynamics. In the light of this dichotomy, we pursue three main objectives in this editorial for the Special Issue on Identification in a Digital Age: Implications for Development. After outlining the motivations that led us to launch this Special Issue call, we first propose a framework to map the theoretical link between digital identity and human development, articulated in three dimensions linking digital identity to expected development outcomes. Secondly, we present the seven papers in this collection in terms of how they problematise such a link, observing how each of them uses empirical data to increase existing knowledge on this connection and question it. Thirdly, we leverage insights from these contributions to put forward a research agenda on digital identity and human development, suggesting possible avenues to engage with this topic and ultimately, framing digital identity as an object of ICT4D research.