Anonymity means being without a name, or doing or saying things without having a name attached to it.
An example of anonymity is edits to this wiki made by users who are not signed in, and are only identified by their IP addresses. Another example is comments on blogs or forums made without any name, such as the Anonymous Coward posts on Slashdot and other Slashcode-based sites.
Compare Pseudonymity, which means using a name different from that which you usually use, such as when using a nickname or online username.
Legal Protections
The right to speak anonymously is protected, in the United States, by the First Amendment. Legal free speech may be published anonymously, and the government has no call to demand the identity of the author(s) without due cause (i.e. illegal speech). However, that anonymity is not itself protected. It is also generally legal to expose the identity of anonymous speakers, as long as the means to do so are legal.
The First Amendment restricts the ability of the government and civil litigants to obtain the identity of anonymous speakers. In McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Commission (1995), [1] the Supreme Court of Ohio overturned a state law banning the distribution of anonymous election pamphlets, concluding that the decision to remain anonymous is protected by the First Amendment. The Court further commented that "anonymous pamphleteering is not a pernicious, fraudulent practice, but an honorable tradition of advocacy and of dissent. Anonymity is a shield from the tyranny of the majority." In history, the Federalist Papers were written anonymously under the name "Publius," a pseudonym for Madison, Hamilton, and. Anti-federalists responded with pseudonymous articles attributed to “Cato” and “Brutus."
Other decisions have upheld this for the online world. [2] [3] Tennessee Judge Richard Baumgartner commented in an April 2009 ruling that Internet anonymity facilitates the rich, diverse, and far ranging exchange of ideas. The “ability to speak one’s mind” on the Internet “without the burden of the other party knowing all the facts about one’s identity can foster open communication and robust debate.” [4]
On the other hand, a British high court denied a motion by police blogger NightJack to prevent newspaper The Times from exposing his identity, which would put his job in peril.
Issues
- Anonymity can be important for women online, to protect against Online harrassment and other problems. Women are often advised to be anonymous or pseudonymous online, and not divulge their real names, in order to protect themselves.
- However, anonymity can also be a shield for people who are attacking others, making abusive comments, and the like.