Is there such a thing as complete anonymity on the Internet? It is something of a philosophical question, but the consensus among experts seems to be 'No.' However, there are degrees of anonymity, which might be more practical for most people – and more necessary than ever before.
I agree there needs to be a way to link back to people for security reasons. Who gets to see that link back is the issue I think needs to be resolved. I believe that access to private data needs to be strictly guarded and regulated.
Are there different degrees of anonymity? Especially hearing Larry Roberts on IE Radio the other day, I think it's very important for everyone to be identifiable. I can understand maybe using a pseudonym on a Website if that's important to you, but ultimately I think it has to be able to link back to your true identity for security reasons. Do you disagree? You're talking about it as a tool for free speech but the ability to know who is behind an online identity can be absolutely critical. Seems like the founders of the Internet agree that they should've worked harder on authentication way back when.
"Anonymity is liberty." I like that -- anonymity on the Web and in life gives people the freedom to act without fear of government reprisal for having a viewpoint. That was a fundamental principle informing the founders of the USA, even if it wasn't directly spelled out.
The Web, more than any other medium, threatens to make anoymity an anachronism if we don't pay some attention and support efforts to protect our right to this kind of freedom.
The problem, of course, is that governments also have to act for public safety, and that involves a certain amount of online surveillance. We need to be watchful about tracking where agenices overstep that necessary vigilance.
I completely agree with all of your points, and thanks for the EFF resource. It has been years since the Electronic Freedom Foundation has been thought of, and it is great to see that they are still fighting for liberty on the Internet. I agree that is probably impossible to achieve complete internet anonymity but using encryption, services like I2P or Tor, the new Private Browsing feature in Firefox 3.5.X (tip; click Tools, Start Private Browsing -- or simply Ctrl + Shift + P), and more. It does not take a genius to figure this out, and like life; there are no guarantees on complete success but in my opinion it is better to try to cover your tracks and protect yourself then stand by the side lines and risk being a slave to the surveillance state, or a victim of identity theft.
"The Constitution does not specifically mention a right to privacy. However, Supreme Court decisions over the years have established that the right to privacy is a basic human right, and as such is protected by virtue of the 9th Amendment. The right to privacy has come to the public's attention via several controversial Supreme Court rulings, including several dealing with contraception (the Griswold and Eisenstadt cases), interracial marriage (the Loving case), and abortion (the well-known Roe v Wade case). In addition, it is said that a right to privacy is inherent in many of the amendments in the Bill of Rights, such as the 3rd, the 4th's search and seizure limits, and the 5th's self-incrimination limit." (Source: http://www.usconstitution.net/constnot.html#privacy)
While Google introduces its new Chrome OS (which I'm hearing will be widely available in one year? Did I mishear that?), IBM announced 10 new products today to help companies using IBM System z mainframe technology.
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Is there such a thing as complete anonymity on the Internet? It is something of a philosophical question, but the consensus among experts seems to be 'No.' However, there are degrees of anonymity, which might be more practical for most people – and more necessary than ever before.
In the final episode of this series about the death of Internet anonymity, Saunders describes how the Internet of the future will start to attain a level of intelligence that requires no human intervention. Scary.
What can users today do to protect their online privacy? The simplest and most obvious option is to not use the Internet – at all. However, once all digital information is consolidated over the Internet, trying to protect digital identity by simply unplugging from the Internet becomes impossible – a fact that has manifest implications for civil liberties, Saunders says.
By 2011 the number of Internet-connected sensors will exceed 1 trillion, making your chances of doing anything or going anywhere unnoticed pretty much zero. Saunders talks about how the 'sensortization' of the Internet is eliminating the traditional divide between online and offline populations.
The 20th Century Internet was characterized by the ability to interact with other people and information on the Internet largely without anyone knowing who you were. The Internet of this century, conversely, will be defined by identity. Saunders explains how Internet users are unwittingly contributing to the demise of the anonymous Internet.
It is 20 years since the invention of the World Wide Web, and the Internet has changed beyond recognition since then. Steve Saunders peers into the future to predict what the Web will look like in another 20 years time – and he doesn’t like what he sees.
The US loses about $20 billion a year on pirated software, movies, and music. But public policy can help stem the tide of digital theft. For example, France has recently passed a 'three strikes and you’re out' law, whereby if after two warning letters an individual continues to download pirated software then his Internet access will be cut off. US policy makers should consider adopting similar policies.
The release of Microsoft's newest OS raises the question of the company's relevance in an era when Google dominates applications and search, and Apple runs circles around Redmond with its gadgets and user interfaces.
The problem with telepresence is that it's not universally accepted, because video calling isn't. While we can all do video calling, we also apparently worry too much about how we look. If we want HD telepresence in our future, we have to dress down, mess up our hair, and dive into our online life.
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