Online identity theftWhat is identity? The word itself can have many connotations, definitions and topics related to it. However, the most basic definition of our identity concerns the qualities, beliefs and baggage that make up each person. An identity is something that each of us lays claim to from the moment we are born until after we die. However, due to recent technological developments, our most basic claims are now under threat. We've all heard of street crime, but with the creation of social networking sites, online shopping, and simply interaction sites, we're making ourselves vulnerable to a new type of crime: online identity theft. Identity theft is the term for the criminal act of stealing your personal information to clone your identity with the intent to use it without your knowledge or permission to commit fraud or other crimes. This occurs when thieves typically obtain and exploit personally identifiable information about individuals or various credentials they use to authenticate themselves, in order to impersonate them. In today's world this is a very serious problem because of all the repercussions it can have, such as ruined credit scores, bankruptcy and many other consequences. Online identity theft is a very serious problem that we are facing in the 21st century and we should start taking measures to protect our identities, for example by placing personal information on the Internet which should be censored and restricted. How does online identity theft happen? Identity theft is a growing concern due to the ease of the attack and how it is very accessible to the thief. It can be done from anywhere and to anyone. Due to the development of technology, there are many different methods on how to identify online... middle of paper... through the use of censorship, the government now controls which websites can be built. so no fake identities or phishing sites. Only reliable sites you can trust. Over the years, as the looming threat of identity theft has increased, many people have tried to find different ways to avoid it while maintaining Internet freedom. However, as each of these methods is continually defeated by online thieves, we have reached the point where censorship is our only option. When many people hear the word censorship, they fear that it is a barrier placed to prevent their expression of rights or freedoms. But in this case it is the wall that protects us from a world of hidden thieves who in just a few keystrokes manage to enclose our entire world on their computer screen. Even if it is not a favorable option, it is the only option we have left.