Anonymity on Social Networks
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Many users of social networks choose to mask their real identities. This may be done via anonymity (providing no name at all) or pseudonymity (providing a false name).
Some people who may prefer an anonymous or pseudonymous persona include, but are not limited to:
- Individuals with medical conditions who want to discuss symptoms and treatment without creating a public record of their condition
- Bloggers and activists engaging in political discourse, especially on controversial issues
- Teachers and childcare workers
- Medical professionals, including mental health professionals
- Law enforcement agents, prosecutors, parole and probation officers, judges, and other court employees
- Victims of stalking, sexual assault, and domestic violence
- Children and youth
- Jobseekers
In fact, anonymity is a useful tool for anyone who prefers to keep a strict separation between an online persona and an off-line identity. It can also be abused by individuals trying to shield their identities while engaging in illegal activities.
Typically, users who prefer to engage in social networks without divulging their true identity will create profiles using a false name as well as a false email address. If you are considering a pseudonymous profile, refer to the terms of service for the social networking site. Providing false or incomplete information violates the terms of service of some social networking sites. Users should consider using software that masks IP addresses, such as TOR. Users should also remember to delete all cookies after visiting a social networking site. See PRC’s discussion of cookies in PRC Fact Sheet 18: Privacy and the Internet -- Cookies.
Bear in mind that it is difficult to truly separate online and off-line identities. It is possible to divulge identifying information through status updates, group memberships, photographs, friend networks and other indicators. In fact, numerous studies have shown that anonymized data can often still be linked to specific individuals.
Read more about anonymization issues:
- Arvind Narayanan and Vitaly Shmatikov’s paper, De-anonymizing Social Networks
- The Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Anonymity page