Ira Rubinstein, Anonymity Reconsidered
Comment by: Mary Culnan
PLSC 2009
Workshop draft abstract:
According to the famous New Yorker cartoon, “On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog.” Today-about 15 years later-this caption is less apt; if “they” don’t know who you are they at least know what brand of dog food you prefer and who you run with. Internet anonymity remains very problematic. On the one hand, many privacy experts would say that anonymity is defunct, citing as evidence the increasing use of the Internet for data mining and surveillance purposes. On the other, a wide range of commentators are equally troubled by the growing lack of trust on the Internet and many view as a leading cause of this problem the absence of a native “identity layer”-i.e., a reliable way of identifying the individuals with whom we communicate and the Web sites to which we connect. While the need for stronger security and better online identity mechanisms grows more apparent, the design and implementation of identity systems inevitably raises longstanding concerns over the loss of privacy and civil liberties. Furthermore, with both beneficial and harmful uses, the social value of Internet anonymity remains highly contested. For many, this tension between anonymity and identity seems irresolvable, leading to vague calls for balancing solutions or for simply preserving the status quo because proposed changes would only make matters worse. This paper offers a fresh look at some of the underlying assumptions of the identity-anonymity standoff by re-examining the meaning of anonymity and raising questions about three related claims: 1) anonymity is the default in cyberspace; 2) anonymity is essential to protecting online privacy; and, 3) the First Amendment confers a right of anonymity. Based on the results of this analysis, the paper concludes by critically evaluating a recently issued CSIS report entitled “Securing Cybersecurity for the 44th Presidency,” which includes 7 major recommendations, one of which is that the government require strong authentication for access to critical infrastructure.