487:
seeking the online identities of former employees who posted extremely critical and negative reviews. Glassdoor executives have stated that they will fight the subpoena as they have fought off other efforts to disclose anonymous identities in the recent past. Other litigants in
California have won
286:, forums, and blogs, that allow users to post information on the Internet should ensure users are registered with their real identities". Starting October 1, 2017, it will require Internet users to identify themselves with their real names to use comments sections on news and social media websites.
166:
edits with the IP address that made the change and tries to identify the entity that owns the IP address. On other websites, IP addresses may not be publicly available, but they can be obtained from the website administrators only through legal intervention. They might not always be traceable to the
223:
which act as an intermediary between the user who wants to post anonymously and the website which logs user information such as IP addresses. The proxy server is the only computer in this network which is aware of the user's information and provides its own information to anonymize the poster.
459:
in users whilst been categorized into either benign or toxic disinhibition. Disinhibition can result in misbehavior but can also improve user relationships. It may also result in greater disclosure among
Internet users, allowing more emotional closeness and openness in a safe social context.
322:, in an action against a website operator, on a statement posted on the website, it is a defense to show that it was not the operator who posted the statement on the website. The defense is defeated if it was not possible for the claimant to identify the person who posted the statement.
474:
A 2015 study suggested that anonymous news comment sections are more susceptible to uncivil comments, especially those directed at other users. Anonymous news comment section users are also more likely to be impolite by either being sarcastic and casting aspersions.
355:, the Supreme Court overturned an Ohio law banning the distribution of anonymous election pamphlets, claiming that an "author's decision to remain anonymous ... is an aspect of the freedom of speech protected by the First Amendment" and that "anonymous
562:
137:
Today, image boards receive tremendous
Internet traffic from all parts of the world. In 2011, on 4chan's most popular board, /b/, there were roughly 35,000 threads and 400,000 posts created per day. At that time, that level of content was on par with
1204:
436:"namefags" and "richeys", respectively. As required by law, even communities such as 4chan do require the logging of IP addresses of such anonymous posters. Such data, however, can only be accessed by the particular site administrator.
105:
in the late 1990s where the notion of using invalid emails for posting to newsgroups was introduced. This was primarily used for discussion on newsgroups pertaining to certain sensitive topics. There was also the introduction of
338:. These laws restrict the ability of the government and civil litigants to obtain the identity of anonymous speakers. The First Amendment says that "Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the
538:
There is also research suggesting that content that gets posted in such communities also tends to be more deviant in nature than would be otherwise. The ability to post anonymously has also been linked to the proliferation of
110:
which were capable of stripping away the sender's address from mail packets before sending them to the receiver. Online services which facilitated anonymous posting sprang up around mid-1992, originating with the
478:
With regard to a recent hostile subpoena in
California, commentators have asked if there will be a "Layfield & Barrett effect" chilling job review posting free speech. On May 2, 2016, through its lawyers,
1201:
1185:
504:, and reduced self-regulation," fosters creations of online communities much in the same way that they might be employed offline. This is evident in proliferation of communities such as
442:
discourages anonymous posting by displaying "Anonymous Coward" as the author of each anonymous post. The mildly derogatory term is meant to chide anonymous contributors into logging in.
390:
of each—local law may specify a minimum and/or maximum term). The usage of IP addresses has, in recent times, been challenged as a legitimate way to identify anonymous users.
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to identify the subscriber to whom it had assigned said IP address. Requests for such data are almost always fruitful, though providers will often effect a finite term of
331:
1220:
1202:
http://speechwriting-ghostwriting.typepad.com/speechwriting_ghostwritin/2016/05/glassdoor-will-layfield-barrett-subpoena-scare-off-employees-from-ranting.html
207:. One popular meme is the Confession Bear meme. People use Confession Bear to post everything from funny and embarrassing stories to very troubled thoughts.
90:) thrive on anonymity. Users of 4chan, in particular, interact in an anonymous and ephemeral environment that facilitates rapid generation of new trends.
428:-based image boards take an opposite stance, encouraging the anonymity, and in the case of English-language Futaba-based websites, calling those who use
339:
1182:
134:. These "large-scale anonymous textboards" were inspired by the Usenet culture and were primarily focused on technology, unlike their descendants.
629:
401:
of a New York–based website to take down anonymous comments unless the original author of the comment agrees to identify themselves on the post.
1211:
Jane Genova, Speechwriter-Ghostwriter Blog, May 16, 2016, "Glassdoor - Will
Layfield & Barrett Subpoena Scare Off Employees from Ranting?"
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351:
335:
699:
837:
383:
303:
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or requiring no authentication at all (also called "perfect anonymity") for posting on a website. Online anonymity is also limited by
951:
724:
Vickery, Jacqueline Ryan (January 2, 2014). "The curious case of
Confession Bear: the reappropriation of online macro-image memes".
299:
1192:
Law and More: Deconstructing What
Happens In Law, May 17, 2016, Anonymous Posting - Will there be a Layfield & Barrett Effect?
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512:
which utilize total anonymity or pseudonymity, or tools such as
Informers (which add anonymity to non anonymous social media like
978:
219:
which aim to provide users the ability to post anonymously by hiding their identifying information. Anonymizers are essentially
179:
allow people to post without revealing their real identity. Pseudonyms, however, are still prone to being tracked to the user's
849:
467:. Although it has been linked to notable effects in gender differences, only when the topic bears similarity and fits with the
1257:
Myers, David (1987). ""Anonymity is Part of the Magic": Individual
Manipulation of Computer-Mediated Communication Contexts".
662:
306:
the ability to "block access to 'computer data' that is in violation of the Act; in other words, a website hosting criminally
854:
794:
937:
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1221:
http://www.therecorder.com/id=1202749188614/Glassdoor-Fights-Subpoena-Seeking-Identity-of-Commenter?slreturn=20160422220341
1008:
611:
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introduced the bill numbered S.6779 (and A.8668) labeled as the "Internet
Protection Act". It proposes the ability of a
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456:
1244:
867:
378:. This involves gaining access to the IP address of the poster via the hosting website. The courts can then order an
1349:
1183:
http://lawandmore.typepad.com/law_and_more/2016/05/anonymous-posting-will-there-be-a-layfield-barrett-effect.html
1113:
Postmas; et al. (2002). "Behavior Online: Does Anonymous Computer Communication Reduce Gender Inequality?".
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government's "Internet Information Services" proposes that "Internet information service providers, including
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Many online bulletin boards require users to be signed in to write—and, in some cases, even to read—posts.
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in newsgroups and other online forums wherein users utilize sophisticated mechanisms such as mentioned in
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192:
394:
39:
902:
637:
1148:
Rowe, I. (2015). "Civility 2.0: a comparative analysis of incivility in online political discussion".
531:
The "ephemerality", or short-lived nature, of posts that exist on some anonymous image boards such as
142:. Such high traffic suggests a broad demand from Internet users for anonymous content sharing sites.
1011:", CNet News, June 29, 1999. (Stating that the term "Anonymous Coward" was popularized by Slashdot.)
535:
create a fast-paced environment. As of 2009, threads on 4chan had a median lifespan of 3.9 minutes.
413:
allows anonymous editing in most cases, but does not label users, instead identifying them by their
1292:
Suler, John (2009). "The Bad Boys of Cyberspace: Deviant Behavior in a Multimedia Chat Community".
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encryptions are also utilized by users to post content in Usenet groups and other online forums.
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Ben-Ze'e v, Aaron (July 2003). "Privacy, emotional closeness, and openness in cyberspace".
417:. Other editors commonly refer to these users with neutral terms such as "anons" or "IPs".
371:. Various courts have interpreted these offline protections to extend to the online world.
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their right to anonymously post negative job reviews but the law remains hotly contested.
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where the IP address would usually be under the purview of the public workspace such as a
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The Recorder, Feb. 8, 2016, "Glassdoor Fights Subpoena Seeking Identity of Commenter"
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like Ayashii World and Amezou World that provided the ability for anonymous posts in
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630:"4chan and/b: An Analysis of Anonymity and Ephemerality in a Large Online Community"
563:
Anonymous Online Speakers v. United States District Court for the District of Nevada
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375:
268:
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http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=52db6564-e0f4-42eb-abec-c8f109de42a5
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Proceedings of the Fifth International AAAI Conference on Weblogs and Social Media
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China to ban anonymous online comments – China’s latest society and culture news
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In the United States, the right to speak anonymously online is protected by the
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do not allow such posts, requiring users to be registered either under their
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35:
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Gosain, Sanjay (2003). "Looking through a Window on Open Source Culture".
777:"Chapter 3: Pornography in Cyberspace: An Exploration of What's in Usenet"
520:), to provide its users the ability to post varied content. The effect of
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is not a pernicious, fraudulent practice, but an honorable tradition of
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Another way people are posting anonymously online is through the use of
183:. To avoid being tracked to an IP address, it is possible to post via a
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825:
517:
364:
139:
938:"US Court of Appeals: An IP address isn't enough to identify a pirate"
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Anonymous computer communication has also been linked to accentuate
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A Dark Day for the Philippines as Government Passes Cybercrime Act
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Online communities vary with their stances on anonymous postings.
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The effects of posting online anonymously has been linked to the
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Anonymity on the Internet can pertain to both the utilization of
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by providing a cover for more intimate and open conversations".
1247:
Lexicology.com, March 24, 2016, "Opinions, Everyone's Got One".
379:
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can be employed to resist identification by writing style.
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Identifying the author of an anonymous post may require a
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on 12 September 2012, which among other things grants the
524:
has been seen to be beneficial in "advice and discussion
244:
to messages that travel through multiple proxy servers.
1040:
Suler, John (2004). "The Online Disinhibition Effect".
683:"Just how do websites track or monitor our activity?"
191:, and hence cannot be traced to the individual user.
775:
Mehta, Michael & Plaza, Dwaine (April 3, 1997).
346:to protect the right to speak anonymously offline.
822:"China Proposes Strengthening Internet Guidelines"
310:speech could be shut down without a court order".
1330:"Privacy for People Who Don't Show Their Navels"
1235:Digital Media Law Project, Krinsky v. Doe, 2008
810:"Internet Information Services (revised draft)"
770:
768:
570:Anonymous Online Speakers), 611 F.3d 653 (2010)
483:and partner Phil Layfield issued a subpoena on
367:", as well as a "shield" against the so-called
342:". This protection has been interpreted by the
601:"Anonymity on the Internet Must Be Protected"
50:or more commonly by using a non-identifiable
8:
1233:http://www.dmlp.org/threats/krinsky-v-doe-6
1009:Andover.Net Scoops Up Seminal Slashdot Site
1115:Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
1108:
1106:
700:"A Technical Guide to Anonymous Blogging"
1150:Information, Communication & Society
979:"Anonymous hackers' Wikileaks 'infowar'"
919:"You Are Not an IP Address, Rules Judge"
868:First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
785:. Lawrence Eribaum Associates. pp.
726:Information, Communication & Society
694:
692:
690:
660:"Q&A With the Founder of Channel 2"
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118:The precursor to Internet forums like
879:McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Commission
575:McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Commission
352:McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Commission
224:Examples of such anonymizers include
7:
1023:Systèmes d'Information et Management
623:
621:
619:
963:Dwight Silverman, "What's Online",
240:(respectively) to provide enhanced
232:, which employ techniques such as
98:Online anonymity can be traced to
42:, or other discussion forums like
25:
989:from the original on 28 June 2011
215:There are services described as
906:, 159 Cal. App. 4th 1154 (2008)
544:
263:Legal standards and regulations
1294:CyberPsychology & Behavior
1042:CyberPsychology & Behavior
855:Electronic Frontier Foundation
500:, such as "anonymity, reduced
1:
1097:10.1016/s0747-5632(02)00078-x
492:Effects on online communities
54:. Some online forums such as
1162:10.1080/1369118X.2014.940365
738:10.1080/1369118X.2013.871056
671:The Online Journalism Review
1085:Computers in Human Behavior
628:Bernstein, Michael (2011).
457:online disinhibition effect
94:History of online anonymity
1366:
899:, 884 A.2d 451 (Del. 2005)
779:. In Keisler, Sara (ed.).
266:
251:utilizing techniques like
1127:10.1177/01461672022811006
300:Cybercrime Prevention Act
278:The revised draft of the
1265:(3). Springer: 251–266.
1054:10.1089/1094931041291295
665:January 9, 2013, at the
386:(in accordance with the
967:, July 7, 2000, page 2.
782:Culture of the Internet
393:On March 21, 2012, the
369:tyranny of the majority
27:Method of communication
1306:10.1089/cpb.1998.1.275
950:New York State Senate
557:Anonymous social media
298:government passed the
193:Adversarial stylometry
1259:Qualitative Sociology
578:, 514 U.S. 334 (1995)
405:In online communities
399:website administrator
395:New York State Senate
304:Department of Justice
162:associates anonymous
40:bulletin board system
1007:Stephen Shankland, "
481:Layfield and Barrett
762:", AnonIC.org, 2004
496:The conditions for
320:Defamation Act 2013
146:Levels of anonymity
108:anonymous remailers
34:, is an entry on a
1271:10.1007/bf00988989
1207:2016-06-29 at the
1188:2021-02-25 at the
848:Jillian C. York, "
344:U.S. Supreme Court
247:Applications like
965:Houston Chronicle
954:, March 21, 2012.
940:. 29 August 2018.
858:, October 3, 2012
760:Anonymous Surfing
673:, August 22, 2008
658:Furukawa, Hideki,
469:gender stereotype
465:self-stereotyping
16:(Redirected from
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644:17 November
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253:private-key
217:anonymizers
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160:WikiScanner
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1339:Categories
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710:2009-03-17
588:References
545:technology
424:and other
336:other laws
318:Under the
296:Philippine
284:microblogs
257:public-key
242:encryption
211:Technology
181:IP address
177:pseudonyms
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152:pseudonyms
128:textboards
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103:newsgroups
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551:See also
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