huridocs-tech Anonymous Communication on the Internet

Edited/Distributed by HURINet - The Human Rights Information Network
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## author     : clift@PUBLICUS.NET
## date       : 09.08.99
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 > FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
  For more information, contact
  Ellen Cooper, 202-326-6431, ecooper@aaas.org
  Dave Amber, 202-326-6434, damber@aaas.org
  George Vlahakis, 812-855-3911, gvlahaki@indiana.edu

  AAAS URGES CAUTION IN REGULATING
  ANONYMOUS COMMUNICATION ON THE
  INTERNET
  Benefits of Anonymity Outweigh Likely Harms

  Washington, DC (June 29, 1999)-Governments should be
  cautious in attempting to regulate how people conceal
  their identities on the Internet, according to a new study
  by the American Association for the Advancement of Science
  (AAAS). Such regulations could prevent people from seeking
  counseling, expressing political opinions or engaging in
  financial transactions, and could impede the development
  of e-commerce and the World Wide Web.

  The study is the first comprehensive analysis of how to
  balance the costs and benefits of anonymous communication
  on the Internet and is presented in the April-June issue
  of The Information Society, an international journal whose
  editorial offices are at Indiana University's School of
  Library and Information Science. The journal is published
  by Taylor & Francis Inc. The study is the result of a
  two-year project funded by the National Science Foundation
  (NSF) to examine online anonymity.

  "Policymakers ought not to react overzealously because
  some people have misused anonymous communications on the
  Internet," said Al Teich, director of Science and Policy
  Programs at AAAS. "If anonymous communication is used for
  illegal purposes, the originators of the anonymous
  messages-if they can be found-should be punished. However,
  the positive values of anonymity more than offset the
  dangers it presents."

  Rachelle Hollander, director of NSF's Societal Dimensions
  of Engineering, Science and Technology program, which
  funded the study, said, "There are many differences
  between Internet communications and other forms, but there
  is one significant similarity: The content of the
  communication, not just whether or not it is anonymous,
  determines its value. Anonymous communications over the
  Internet have positive and negative aspects. So do
  anonymous communications by telephone, the U.S. Mail, or
  the company suggestion box."

  The explosive growth of the Internet over the last decade
  has created new avenues for anonymous communications.
  Anonymous remailers allow Internet users, free of charge,
  to post anonymous messages to most Usenet newsgroups or to
  send anonymous e-mail to anyone they wish. In its simplest
  form, an anonymous remailer works by accepting an e-mail
  message from a sender, stripping off the headers that
  would serve to identify the sender, and then forwarding
  the message to the intended recipient.

  Under the cloak of anonymity, users can participate in
  political and human rights advocacy, engage in whistle
  blowing, receive counseling and perform commercial
  transactions without disclosing their identities. However,
  anonymity also helps to protects users who take part in
  socially unacceptable or criminal activities because of
  the difficulty in holding them accountable. Harmful
  communications include spamming, hate mail, child
  pornography and online financial fraud.

  - more -

  "Anonymous communication is a form of communication, with
  all of the human complexities that we experience in modern
  society. In modern society people routinely communicate
  anonymously when they shop or travel. It seems a bit more
  exotic in discussions of the Internet because of the
  social significance of specially helpful or harmful
  communications, and because of the technological
  complexities in creating or hiding on-line identities,"
  said Rob Kling, editor-in- chief of The Information
  Society and Indiana University professor of information
  science ace: Statements delivered at In order to give
  Internet users the opportunity to communicate anonymously
  for legitimate reasons while deterring illegal or
  unethical uses of anonymity, the study makes several
  recommendations, including allowing online communities to
  set their own policies on the use of anonymous
  communication and informing Internet users about the
  extent to which their identity is disclosed online. The
  study discusses how anonymous communication can be shaped
  by the law, education and public awareness, and highlights
  the importance of involving all affected interests in
  policy development.

  Policymakers, business leaders and scientists have been
  grappling with the just how anonymity should or shouldn't
  be regulated on the Internet. Several companies have
  pursued the strategy of filing "John Doe" lawsuits that
  enable them to subpoena files revealing the identities of
  those who they claim have defamed them on the Internet.
  And the U.S. government has placed strict export limits on
  high-powered encryption that is necessary to guarantee
  anonymity (although the House and the Senate are
  considering bills that would change the policy).
  Proponents of anonymity, however, argue that efforts to
  use the courts or regulations to control anonymity on the
  Internet can hamper technological advancement and
  undermine the open exchange of information.

  Instances of both harmful and beneficial uses of anonymity
  are plentiful on the Internet. In 1996, a student at a
  University of California campus caused anguish for many
  people by sending anonymous hate mail to an Asian student
  electronic list. On the other hand, during NATO's military
  attacks on Kosovo in March 1999, special services were
  created to help Kosovars, Serbs and others reporting on
  the war to send e-mail anonymously or to post their
  comments on certain Web sites, avoiding both censorship
  and possible reprisals.

  As one part of its online anonymity project, AAAS held a
  conference in November 1997 to address the problem of how
  to foster socially desirable uses online while
  discouraging undesirable uses. AAAS also conducted an
  online survey, convened focus groups of professionals,
  commissioned background papers on anonymity, and developed
  a series of case studies for educational use. A
  description of the project can be found on the AAAS Web
  site at <http://www.aaas.org/spp/anon/>.

  The American Association for the Advancement of Science
  (AAAS), the world's largest federation of scientists,
  works to advance science for human well-being through its
  projects, programs, and publications. With more than
  146,000 members and 282 affiliated societies, AAAS
  conducts many programs in the areas of science policy,
  science education and international scientific
  cooperation. AAAS publishes the prestigious peer-reviewed
  journal Science, as well as a number of electronic
  features on the World Wide Web. >




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