Forget privacy seals, forget air-tight security.

They_re both essential components of online data protection. But, if you ask Austin Hill, the key to keeping personal data private is for users to have absolute control over their online identity. "From an economics point of view, your data is becoming a commodity," said Hill, president of Zero-Knowledge Systems. "All of this is leading the charge for people to say_'I don_t want to give up my data.'" Hill and his colleagues from Zero Knowledge were at the RSA Security Conference to pitch the concept of multiple, pseudonymous identities as a legitimate way to protect consumer privacy. If e-merchants are ever to win the trust of consumers, they must promise them total control over how and when they are represented online, Hill said. Zero Knowledge, based in Montreal, has developed a service called Freedom that gives consumers that control.