Anonymity on the Internet: How Does It Work, Who Needs It, and What Are Its Policy Implications? (PDF; 136 KB)
Source: Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

As the software becomes easier to use, more individuals may adopt it on a trial basis as needed to provide anonymity. This appears to have occurred in China, because hits to various types of anonymous servers have increased after major political events in China. Although the average American user may not yet see the need for anonymous communication, recent news reports about illegal government surveillance of phone calls, Alberto Gonzales’ recommendations that ISPs preserve large amounts of data about users, and growing awareness of privacy and security violations by both governments and corporations may eventually result in a growing critical mass of users who would be willing to try anonymity software. It is this critical mass that governments should seek to prevent by ceasing the very behaviors which might move consumers in that direction.

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 17th, 2007 at 6:08 pm and is filed under Internet, Privacy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.