The root of these problems is that the Internet was designed without a system of digital
identity in mind. In efforts to address this deficiency, numerous digital identity systems
have been introduced, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. But no one single
system meets the needs of every digital identity scenario. And even if it were possible to
create one system that did, the reality is that many different identity systems are in use
today, with still more being invented. As a result, the current state of digital identity on
the Internet is an inconsistent patchwork of ad hoc solutions that burdens people with
different user experiences at every web site, renders the system as a whole fragile, and
constrains the fuller realization of the promise of e-commerce.