Anonymity is a privilege, abused by people who mistook virtiol for wisdom, and cynicism for wit. Just like the quote “Give a man a mask, he will show you his true face.”. While I agree with both statements, I strongly believe that anonymity is the shield from the tyranny of the majority.
The internet has it’s usages. Talking to your friends, shopping, sharing your creations and many more. It’s deemed to be one of the most revolutionary inventions humankind has ever accomplished. While much of the internet is easily and readily accessible, certain layers lie hidden beneath intricate obfuscations. This “dark side” of the internet provides a much greater level of anonymity, in this text, we’ll explore why it exists and who it appeals to.
The biggest change came in the form of “instant communication”. As long as you were connected to the internet, you could talk to anyone else who is on the web. Everything you do or say online can be tracked, recorded and traced back to you. Concerned people rised over the time and one such group of those people were the United States Federal Government. The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) began experimenting on a technology known as “onion routing” which seems funny enough. This routing technology would basically allow anonymous bi-directional communication, meaning the source wont be able to be traced back to its origin. So became “The Onion Routing” which still, sounds funny but it is crucial for anonymity of many activities on the internet. It may seem like you never use encrypted browsing, but most of the internet is based around this encrypted layer of internet. Banking details, Netflix, Facebook accounts, cloud storage and many more examples are protected by many layers of encryption, which can only be seen or read by the author and the receiver. Concealing identities may also fuel cybercrimes.
There is no question that such anonymity brings out horrific content to the web, it’s nowhere as near as extensive as some make it out to be. But, how could you prevent criminals from using these services while still allowing lawful citizens protecting their privacy?
The answer is pretty simple, you can’t, you don’t. You can’t restrict something that is by it’s nature, unrestricted. Which is anonymity, anyone can do or say what they want, we have no choice. It’s everyone, or no one, that is the unfortunate truth.
The act of giving is best done anonymously, nobody knows you until you introduce yourself, it is not something you have to shun, we don’t need to achieve celebrity to make a mark on the world. You never appreciate your anonymity until you don’t have it anymore.