Governments Are Waging War On Internet Anonymity.

online internet anonymity

Governments around the world are attacking online anonymity. They are attempting to pass legislation that would require a government-issued or approved photo ID in order to gain access to social media sites. Some US states are also proposing ID requirements to view websites with 33% or more "adult content", but the definition of adult content is left purposely vague and could include virtually anything at the discretion of the "authorities".

In the same way that government-sponsored terrorism was used to enact anti-privacy rules in the financial realm (so-called "Know Your Customer" rules) governments use fear-based excuses to destroy our freedom, and internet anonymity is no exception. This time, children are being used, with politicians claiming we must protect the young ones from online hate, bullying, and porn. While these are valid arguments, locking down the internet to anyone who is unwilling or unable to satisfy government requirements is like killing a mosquito with a cannon. And it's not the government's job to protect us from web content. If children are viewing things they shouldn't be seeing, then it's the parent's job to monitor and control their children's internet browsing. And content filters are available to help parents keep their kids safe.

But this isn't about keeping kids safe. It's about ending anonymity for everyone, including whistleblowers, battered women hiding from their abusers, and political dissenters. It would mean everything you post online could be tied back to your employer, your bank, law enforcement, and eventually, your social credit score. It would have a chilling effect on bloggers, investigative reporters, and other content producers who work to expose the government's crimes. And it would put people at risk of losing their jobs if they dared to criticize their employers. 

Online anonymity creates a unique set of challenges that society has to deal with. But ending that anonymity would create even worse challenges, including unchecked abuses of power, self-imposed censorship, and the end of open and free debates. 

Write to your representatives and demand that they keep their hands off the internet and let it be the free and private community space that it was designed to be.

For more information on this, please watch the video below created by the great people at Reclaim The Net:

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