The internet is also a key means for seeking out community and support," the charity said. Anonymizing tools like VPNs could allow crucial access to impartial and accurate information, especially to LGBTI kids and teenagers, who may not be able to access it elsewhere. "In this environment of censorship and state-sponsored homophobia, online anonymity can be a lifeline. In 2013 Russia introduced a 'gay propaganda law' which the human rights charity, Amnesty International, says "is used to censor and punish content relevant to LGBTI people and LGBTI rights". In countries like Russia and China, the government have controversially banned certain social media platforms and websites as well as 'anonymisers' and VPNs - which are tools that allow users to hide their identity and access sites blocked by government rules.
The debate about whether people should be allowed to be anonymous on the internet is not simple.įor some people, hiding their identity online can be a matter of safety. It's believed that this will make it easier for police forces to find out who is committing hate crimes and discourage people from posting abuse too. Steps should also be taken to stop a user that has sent abuse previously from re-registering an account".
#Bad things anonymous has done verification#
In a letter to Twitter and Facebook, English football's authorities asked that: "All users should be subject to an improved verification process that (only if required by law enforcement) allows for accurate identification of the person behind the account. The football community is calling on social media companies to make anonymous profiles a thing of the past and require users to sign in using formal identity documents. Many think the increasing online abuse is able to happen because users can hide behind anonymous profiles, which makes it harder to find out who did it. Of the players surveyed, 43% said they had experienced targeted racist abuse. It's thought that anonymous profiles can contribute to the spread of misinformation or fake news, as well as cyberbullying, trolling and hate crime.ĭuring the final six weeks of the 19//20 football season, a joint PFA and Signify study of online content identified more than 3,000 abusive messages aimed at Premier League players, 56% of which were racist. Read both sides, have your say in our reaction slider and in the comments below.
So what are the positives and negatives of being anonymous online? We've discussed the issues below. However, there are fears that this would be giving social media companies too much personal data and could also pose a threat to activists, whistleblowers (who are people that reveal information about bad things people or companies have done) and persecuted minorities who need to protect their identity online. People are suggesting social media platforms should make their users sign in with formal identification such as a driving licence or passport to make it easier for the police to identify people who commit hate crimes and also discourage people from posting abuse in the first place. It's a big talking point at the moment after calls by the football community for social media companies to do more to tackle racism by anonymous accounts on their platforms. They might use a made up name or a different display photo so that no one will know who is behind their posts and comments. It's when someone has an online profile that hides their identity. Have you ever thought about what it means to be anonymous online?
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