Google lawsuit..end of web anonymity???

[RDMcG]

We all know that its not that difficult to identify someone on the web,and most of us post fairly innocuous stuff anyway. However, there are people who use web anonymity abusively and simultaneously claim free speech while hiding behind a web ID.
Up to now ,Google has aggressively protected the identities of users. That has changed with this lawsuit where a model successfully forced them to reveal the identity of an abusive blogger. More lawsuits will follow. I think the web is about to change...


http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=191...

[bigandclever]

article said:

On Tuesday, New York Supreme Court Judge Joan Madden ordered Google to hand over the computer IP address and email address of the blogger to Ms. Cohen's lawyers.

Well that would be a whole heap of use if you spoofed your IP (or, you know, used a web cafe or something) and had a hotmail/gmail/anonymous account. I know it appears that this blogger is identifiable, but with a bit of thinking they wouldn't have been. Or am I missing something?

[mrmr96]

It's probably not a bad thing? People should indeed have free speech, but they should also be accountable for their actions.

Maybe this will help with other cases of cyber bullying (eg amonst school kids).

I guess the downside is the impact on free speech in countries where free speech is not allowed. If oppressive regeims were allowed to hunt down free speaking bloggers that would be a bad thing for free speech.

So I can see instances where identifying people online could be a good thing, but also where it could be a bad thing.

The problem comes in creating these powers and then trusting those using them to use them for what they were intended.

Not really sure what the 'right' answer on this is, as I can see strong cases for and against. I.e. where anonymity is important, but also where it is abused.

Edited by mrmr96 on Thursday 20th August 11:58