identiteitscoût

Identiteitscoût is a neologism used in discussions about digital identity and privacy to describe the total “cost” incurred by individuals to establish, verify, and maintain their identity in modern information ecosystems. The term blends Dutch word roots for identity (identiteits) with the French word for cost (coût), reflecting its use in bilingual or international debates about identity economics and governance. Because it is not yet standardized, its exact scope can vary by context.

The concept encompasses multiple dimensions. Financial costs include fees for official documents, background checks, and authentication services. Time and effort costs cover lengthy application processes, repeated verifications across platforms, and the administrative burden of updating credentials. Cognitive and social costs refer to the mental load of managing many credentials and the potential for discrimination or exclusion when identity systems are overly burdensome or opaque. Privacy and data governance costs involve the risk of data breaches, profiling, consent fatigue, and the ongoing trade-off between convenience and control over personal information. Systemic costs pertain to the resources required by firms and governments to build, operate, and regulate identity infrastructures.

Applications span banking, healthcare, travel, e-government, and online platforms that require identity verification. Critics argue that high identiteitscoût can exclude marginalized groups, create barriers to access, and normalize surveillance. Proponents advocate privacy-preserving, user-centric identity solutions (such as federated or self-sovereign identities) to reduce overall costs while maintaining security. See also concepts like identity cost, authentication cost, and digital identity governance.