Research Projects

SDI4ECom

Secure and self-determined digital identities in e-commerce

Start: 02.2023

End: 07.2025

https://www.sdi4ecom.de

How are data protection and personalized online shopping compatible? The SDI4ECom project investigates how digital identity wallets can give users control over their data while still allowing them to enjoy a customized shopping experience, which is also secure, convenient, and independent of large platforms.

Online retail faces two conflicting requirements: personalized offers on the one hand and high data protection standards on the other. SDI4ECom develops solutions that enable users to share their data in a targeted and controlled manner using digital identity wallets. This allows shopping profiles to be stored locally in the wallet and shared as needed, without central storage and independent of large platform providers. This creates transparency and trust and opens up new avenues for data protection-compliant personalization. At the same time, companies gain innovative options for addressing customers and integrating new identity solutions.

The goal is to develop a demonstrator that tests the shopping experience with wallets in practice and provides transferable recommendations for action. This will be achieved using participatory and user-centered methods. A human-centered design process forms the methodological backbone for the development of practical, understandable, and secure wallet solutions.

SDI4ECom addresses online customers, shop operators, and e-commerce service providers alike. For online shoppers, the project offers increased control over personal data and a more secure, personalized shopping experience without opaque data sharing. Online retailers can tailor their offerings to be more personalized and compliant with data protection regulations without having to rely on the vast amounts of data collected by large platforms. E-commerce service providers benefit from new, interoperable interfaces and the ability to integrate wallet-based identity solutions into their systems.

Role of the FZI

The FZI researches how shopping profiles can be mapped in wallets, develops technical interfaces for integration into online shops, and builds a demonstrator for evaluation. In addition, methods developed at the FZI, such as MERDigS for collecting requirements in the field of digital sovereignty and MEUSec for evaluating usability and security, are being applied. It also collects requirements from the user and company perspectives and is responsible for scientific public relations.