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Anonymity Challenges in the Internet

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Anonymization

Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in Cybersecurity ((BRIEFSCYBER))

Abstract

Since information about people acting in the Internet (both, consciously or unconsciously provided by them) can be easily found, surfing on the World Wide Web is far from an anonymous activity of no consequences. With regard to the therewith associated risk of data abuses it is still a debatable point, whether the identification in the online world is essential, and if so to what extent, or whether there is a right to act anonymously within the World Wide Web.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    See Sect. 1.3.2.2(1)(a).

  2. 2.

    Complete anonymity cannot be guaranteed.

  3. 3.

    Example: According to German law, access providers are only allowed to use stored data for accounting purposes or for eliminating technical barriers.

  4. 4.

    Extensively on the subject of Trojan horses, see Sect. 4.4.

  5. 5.

    In more detail see Sect. 4.4.1.1.

  6. 6.

    Starting in 2008, a group of online activists acting under the synonym “Anonymous” appeared on the scene. In so doing, the name “Anonymous” itself was inspired by the (perceived) anonymity under which Internet participants post images and comments on the Internet. Representing the concept of any and all people as an unnamed collective the members of the group appear in public wearing the Guy Fawkes masks popularized by the comic book and film V for Vendetta. At the beginning, “Anonymous” provided warnings against the Church of Scientology and accomplished protest actions to support the right to freedom of speech and the Internet freedom. Initially acting only within the Internet, the activist meanwhile expanded their protest actions in sectors aside from the Internet. The activists sign their messages with “We are Anonymous. We are Legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect us.”

  7. 7.

    With regard to the fact that on behalf of “Anonymous” both a letter claiming responsibility and a denial was sent the perpetration of “Anonymous” is still unproved. According to the denial letter of December 25, 2011, “Anonymous” strongly condemned the action of being a violence of the freedom of press.

  8. 8.

    In general to the problems of cyberterrorism see Council of Europe (2008).

  9. 9.

    This subchapter is based on Weber and Weber 2010, pp. 47–50.

  10. 10.

    However, anonymizing services do not automatically anonymize the communication’s content.

  11. 11.

    See https://www.torproject.org/; Landau (2010), p. 139/40.

  12. 12.

    Compare for example Anonymizer, Terms of Use, http://www.anonymizer.com/legal/legal, Accessed 12 January 2012.

  13. 13.

    The ONS is a service containing the network addresses of services; for further details see Weber and Weber 2010, p. 6.

  14. 14.

    During the so called “Jasmin Revolution” starting at the end of 2010 in Tunesia and continuing 2011 within the bordering Arab States governments (unsuccessfully) tried to silence the political opposition by shutting down important webpages. However, by using anonymizing services Internet users were able to bend this censorship of the Internet.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Law Department, University of Zurich, Rämistrasse 74/38, 8001, Zurich, Switzerland

    Rolf H. Weber & Ulrike I. Heinrich

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  1. Rolf H. Weber
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  2. Ulrike I. Heinrich
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Correspondence to Rolf H. Weber .

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Weber, R.H., Heinrich, U.I. (2012). Anonymity Challenges in the Internet. In: Anonymization. SpringerBriefs in Cybersecurity. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-4066-5_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-4066-5_2

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