On the Faulty Assumption of E-Mail as a Stable Identity Identifier

Abstract

The use of e-mail addresses as a digital identity is rapidly increasing both within the context of electronic mail as well as expanding into new solutions. Your e-mail address is utilized not only as a mean of keeping in touch with your colleagues, but also as log-in names on web-sites and in IM and IP-telephony contexts.

Many services on the Internet today is designed using the assumption that an e-mail address is an appropriate identity identifier which is stable over time.

This paper presents a study on whether e-mail addresses used are likely to be stable over time, and aims to discuss the implications and potential remedies of this faulty assumption.

Keywords: E-Mail, Portability