{"id":34,"date":"2006-12-11T09:12:27","date_gmt":"2006-12-11T06:12:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/2jk.org\/english\/?p=34"},"modified":"2008-06-06T22:32:41","modified_gmt":"2008-06-06T19:32:41","slug":"anonymity-in-user-generated-comments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/2jk.org\/english\/2006\/12\/11\/anonymity-in-user-generated-comments\/","title":{"rendered":"Anonymity in User Generated Comments"},"content":{"rendered":"

This wednesday, the Israeli Parliament will host a discussion about the anonymity in user comments which are [sic] the worst problem ever in Israel. a parliament member from the Extreme right party, “Israel is Our House” offered to moderate and block all websites which allow user generated comments to be posted anonymously.<\/p>\n

Here are my comments, taken from my (belated) seminar about Service Providers’ Liability:<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Anonymity is a state of detachment of a person\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s name from the action he committed, like giving in secrecy, anonymous sperm donation, anonymous exams, anonymous medical examinations, and other actions alike, all positive which were meant for a desired cause\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/span>1<\/sup><\/a><\/sup>. Anonymity is desired not only in order to create a hideout for law violators2<\/sup><\/a><\/sup>, but ,also. and\/or maybe mostly, in order to protect a creator of content from some of the harms on the Internet3<\/sup><\/a>. Exposing personal details of a person as a general rule on the internet may lead to major harm \u00e2\u20ac\u201c both by presenting a person\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s name and affiliation, and by requiring people to disclose, for example, their address and subject them to the random lunatic which dissents with their opinion. Though public interest is not to protect criminals, a prima facia approach to deny anonymity is a method that will harm the public discourse4<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

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Helen Nissenbaum described in her article the meaning of anonymity: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153In all these cases, the value of anonymity lies not in the capacity to be unnamed, but in the possibility of acting or participating while remaining out of reach, remaining unreachable. Being unreachable means that no-one will come knocking on your door demanding explanations, apologies, answerability, punishment or payment. Where society places high value on the types of expression and transaction that anonymity protects (aluded to in the previous paragraph) it must necessarily enable unreachability.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d5<\/sup><\/a><\/sup>. Nissenbaum\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s approach is different than other researchers, since she explains that in the information age there is actually more private information than before it, and anonymity has weakened.<\/p>\n

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A Contradicting approach was presented by Eli Hacohen6<\/sup><\/a><\/sup>, the head and founder of the Internet Research Centre in Tel-Aviv University. He performed an online experiment and requested commenters to identify. Even after his request, and maybe under protest, over a hundred comments were posted pseudonymously7<\/sup><\/a><\/sup>. Again instead of the many references to popular sources reference to scholarly journals would produce a much better description and analysis (j.k -add one)<\/p>\n

Hasson\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Proposal8<\/sup><\/a><\/sup><\/h2>\n

The Israeli surfer is known9<\/sup><\/a><\/sup> to be ultra violent10<\/sup><\/a><\/sup> in speech, as is the Israeli society. therefore, as a mean to restrain them, several regulatory actions were requested. First, Parliament member Israel Hasson proposed to mandate commenters to identify prior to writing comments11<\/sup><\/a><\/sup>. This proposal, obviously, started an attack on Hasson; His website was flooded with anonymous greetings12<\/sup><\/a><\/sup> and various comments were left against Parliament Member Hasson\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s nature. Dr. Michael Birnhack, for example, stated13<\/sup><\/a><\/sup> that the draft \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Annuls the basic constitutional rights of the surfers for privacy. It harms the right of private site owners to run their business. The goal to promote the conversation culture is welcome, but this is not the way.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d This constitutional right for speech14<\/sup><\/a>, where the US Courts have decided that \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Accordingly, we must adopt a standard that appropriately balances one person\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s right to speak anonymously against another person\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s right to protect his reputation.\u00e2\u20ac\u0153<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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However, in my humble opinion, Hasson failed to understand that the Comments in Israel are closer the old \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Letters to the Editor\u00e2\u20ac\u009d columns published in newspapers and published only after moderation15<\/sup><\/a><\/sup> (and the liability generated from this moderation will be discussed later), The Comment is the writer, he represents the problem. The Israeli society is a flash mob: violent, faceless and disgusting. Hasson also forgot that real \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Letters to the Editor\u00e2\u20ac\u009d do not require real identification16<\/sup><\/a><\/sup>. These are just letters which were sent in print and published. The Internet, on the other hand, presents some sort of solution, where it enables (without any intrusive mean) to have some data regarding the origin of the writer.<\/p>\n

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The request to register any commenters may be redundant if websites hold IP addresses of the commenters and hide them from the other readers, in order to prevent hacking attempts with that IP address and to allow nonpopular opinions to float17<\/sup><\/a><\/sup> in that article; and release this information against a court order if needed or comply with a takedown process as stated in the statute draft. The Comments represent the old town square, where all people are allowed to present their opinions and no one is forced to listen. However, in the old city square \u00e2\u20ac\u201c no person is required to identify prior to stating an opinion.<\/p>\n

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Indeed, the center of data research in the Israeli Parliament researched the implications of Hasson\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s proposal, and decided to advise Hasson to withdraw his proposal, only three months after it was drafted18<\/sup><\/a><\/sup>. The said research, prepared by Roy Goldschmidt, mostly commented on the severe measures proposed by Hasson, claiming that most comments are only as violent as the society they exist in19<\/sup><\/a><\/sup> and that most of them are living-room conversations20<\/sup><\/a><\/sup>. Goldschmidt concludes his research by saying that the draft is \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Inadequate with the common conceptions of the Internet, which is characterised by the delicate balance between democratic potential and anarchy and with attempts to enforce regulation by the participants themselves and not outside supervision.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.<\/p>\n

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The main conclusion of Goldschmidt\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s research was the Self-Regulation, by the means of setting an independent Ethical Code would be the optimal solution to reduce the violence in user generated comments and not enforcing the commenters to disclose their identity21<\/sup><\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n

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1<\/a>Birnhack, \tM., \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Anonymity and Expression, Haifa Law Faculty Blog\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, \t13.08.2006, \thttp:\/\/haifalawfaculty.blogspot.com\/2006\/08\/blog-post_13.html<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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2<\/a>For \texample of a criticism for this argument, see Klinger, J. \t26.02.2006, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Before you Pick on the Internet\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, NRG-Maariv, \thttp:\/\/www.nrg.co.il\/online\/10\/ART1\/053\/073.html<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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3<\/a>Barzilay-Nahon \tK & Barzilay G., \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Practical and Imaginated Freedom of \tSpeech on The Internet\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, Inside: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Quiet: Speaking\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, Ramot: \t2005, also at Israeli<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> Internet Association Magazine, \thttp:\/\/isoc.org.il\/magazine\/magazine5_9.html<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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4<\/a>Goldschmidt, \tR. ibid, ibid<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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5<\/a>Nissenbaum, \tH., The Meaning of Anonymity in an Information Age, The Information \tSociety, 15:141-144, \thttp:\/\/www.nyu.edu\/projects\/nissenbaum\/paper_anonimity.html<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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6<\/a>Hacohen, \tE., \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Want to write Talkbacks? Indentify!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, Haaretz, 24.08.2006, \thttp:\/\/www.haaretz.co.il\/captain\/pages\/ShArtCaptain.jhtml?contrassID=11&subContrassID=0&sbSubContrassID=0&itemNo=754424<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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7<\/a>Shargal, \tD., \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Dynasty\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, The Marker Blogs, 24.08.2006, \thttp:\/\/themarkerblogs.com\/velvet\/?p=45<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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8<\/a>Published, \tPartialy, in origin on 10.07.2006. Klinger, J., \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Nice to meet you, \ti assume you know my name\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, NRG-Maariv, 10.07.2006, \thttp:\/\/www.nrg.co.il\/online\/10\/ART1\/447\/053.html<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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9<\/a>Hecht, \tJ., \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Fight for online content\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hegemony \u00e2\u20ac\u201c the case of the \ttalkback\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, Internet Association Magazine, 2003, \thttp:\/\/www.isoc.org.il\/magazine\/magazine4_3.html#5<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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10<\/a>Almog, \tO. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153In the State of Commenters\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, Ynet, 18.08.2006, \thttp:\/\/www.ynet.co.il\/articles\/0,7340,L-3292681,00.html<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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11<\/a>Bender, \tA., \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Law Proposal: Prohibitions of anonymous comments\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, \tNRG-Maariv, 09.07.2006, \thttp:\/\/www.nrg.co.il\/online\/10\/ART1\/446\/439.html<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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12<\/a>Bender, \tA. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Revenge of the Commenters\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, NRG-Maariv, 10.07.2006, \thttp:\/\/www.nrg.co.il\/online\/10\/ART1\/446\/921.html<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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13<\/a>Moore, \tG. ibid, http:\/\/www.ynet.co.il\/articles\/0,7340,L-3295528,00.html<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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14<\/a>Lyrissa \tBarnett Lidsky, Silencing \tJohn Doe: Defamation & Discourse in Cyberspace<\/span><\/em>, 49 \tDuke L.J. 855, 896 \t(2000). quoted at CA 04C-011-022 Doe V. Cahlil, \thttp:\/\/www.eff.org\/legal\/cases\/Doe_v_Cahill\/doe_v_cahill_decision.pdf<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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15<\/a>Cohen, \tD. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153You Talkbacking To Me?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, NRG-Rating, 28.05.2006, \thttp:\/\/www.nrg.co.il\/online\/10\/ART1\/427\/905.html<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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16<\/a>A \tsimilar approach to Hasson was presented in the Parliamentary \tcommittee for Science and Technology where Ron Nachman asked the \tcommittee to propose legislation to withdraw anonymity since he got \ta threatening letter by Email. Nachman was answered that the current \tstatute allows the disclosure, and that receiving an email with IP \taddress is better than receiving regular letters with no origin or \tway to track. Protocol of the parliamentary committee for science \tand technology<\/strong>, 26.07.2006, special meeting regarding the \tIsraeli-Lebanese war in cyberspace. \thttp:\/\/www.knesset.gov.il\/protocols\/data\/rtf\/mada\/2006-07-26.rtf<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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17<\/a>Hecht, \tJ., ibid, http:\/\/www.isoc.org.il\/magazine\/magazine4_3.html<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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18<\/a>Moore, \tG., \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Document: The proposal to require commenters to identify is \tproblematic\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, Ynet, 07.09.2006, \thttp:\/\/www.ynet.co.il\/articles\/0,7340,L-3301027,00.html<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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19<\/a>See, \tfor example, Koren-Dinar, R., \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Go to Africa and Die from AIDS\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, \tHaaretz (The Marker Magazine Special on Talkbacks), 08.09.2006, \thttp:\/\/www.haaretz.co.il\/hasite\/pages\/ShArtSR.jhtml?itemNo=760370&objNo=59771&returnParam=Y<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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20<\/a>Klinger, \tJ., \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Nice to meet you, i assume you know my name\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, NRG-Maariv, \t10.07.2006, http:\/\/www.nrg.co.il\/online\/10\/ART1\/447\/053.html<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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21<\/a>On \tthe means of Self regulation, see the attempts to self regulate the \tblogger community in Israel further to Meirav Ben-Ruby Kaner\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s \tsuicide. Meirav was an Israeli blogger which used her blog in order \tto claim that both her father and psychiatrist sexually molested \ther, and also referred to other Israeli internet personas as sexual \tbeasts which abuse other bloggers. Further to her suicide, the \tBlogger community itself decided to suggest ethical codes, which \u00e2\u20ac\u201c \tthough not implemented to a full, changed the structure and \tsubstance of relations.<\/p>\n

Katzir, O., \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Bloggers \tCovenant\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, Aplaton.co.il, 01.07.2006, \thttp:\/\/www.aplaton.co.il\/story_214<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Perkol, S., \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Cow Chocolate, \tBaelzavuv, and Man to Man \u00e2\u20ac\u201c wolf\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, Tapuz Blogs, 21.06.2006, \thttp:\/\/www.tapuz.co.il\/blog\/ViewEntry.asp?EntryId=722529<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Klinger, J., \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Blogger Ethical \tCode: Unbinding Offer\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, 2jk.org, 21.06.2006, \thttp:\/\/2jk.org\/mt\/archives\/2006\/06\/ethical_blog_code.html<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Yaron, O., \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Blog of a Death \tForetold\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, Haaretz, 26.06.2006<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Technorati Tags: internet<\/a>, anonymity<\/a>, Israel Hason<\/a>, Freedom of Speech<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This wednesday, the Israeli Parliament will host a discussion about the anonymity in user comments which are [sic] the worst problem ever in Israel. a parliament member from the Extreme right party, “Israel is Our House” offered to moderate and block all websites which allow user generated comments to be posted anonymously. Here are my […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/2jk.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/2jk.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/2jk.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/2jk.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/2jk.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/2jk.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/2jk.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/2jk.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/2jk.org\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}