Identity Mixer: IBM technology to enable people shop anonymously

US based tech giant IBM has said that they are developing software that allows consumers to shop online anonymously.

Customers would not be required to reveal key data like their credit card or social security numbers. In some cases, they can even hide their names.

IBM calls this application Identity Mixer. Consumers going on for this solution can obtain an encrypted software ‘token’ from their bank or credit card company.

This token would ensure that the customer has enough credit in his account while taking care of the user privacy. Jan Camenisch, a researcher on the project at IBM’s research lab spoke about this product: “The merchant would know you are old enough to enter their site, but nothing else.”

The company has released this application to open source software community through the Higgins Project.