Defining Digital Trust Ecosystems

The concept of “ecosystem” has been increasingly adopted in data management, innovation, and business strategy. Yet, more often it is used metaphorically without a specific reference to the literature. At the Trust over IP Foundation, defining digital trust ecosystems is crucial in crafting a digital governance framework. This paper draws on the characteristics of natural ecosystems and human economies to propose a definition of digital trust ecosystems as interconnected communities of diverse institutional and individual participants in a trust environment sustained by the combined governance of technology and human actors. Characteristics of digital trust ecosystems, the role of the ToIP Foundation, and the challenges of sustaining digital trust ecosystems are discussed.