M. Riddle (Edison): Digital Anonymity

The year is 2009, and the information age is in its heyday with no apparent end in sight. In fact many would say that it is poised for greater and broader uses limited only by man’s imagination. Yet for all that it is capable of, for all of the conveniences it brings, for all of the good that it can be used for, darkness still abides within the secret keystrokes of those who wish to inflict insult upon pain.

Ask Chelsea Gorman. As a Vanderbilt University freshman in 2007, she was raped near campus, shattering her life and throwing her into a tail-spin until she had to withdraw from school to put the pieces of her life back together. Having overcome panic attacks and the psychological torment and wounds of her attack, she returned to campus only to find that the story of her rape had been posted on the internet. What’s worse is that some of the posts actually claimed that she deserved what she got and displayed envy toward the rapist. That which she worked so hard to overcome and learn how to deal with on a daily basis was twisted with hate and contempt, and now a topic of gossip that other students spoke of openly and often on campus, even in front of her.

Chelsea’s story is not unique in any way. Although harassment of college students and adults on line is not as widespread, cyber-bullying has become commonplace among younger children. Cowards cloak themselves in digital anonymity and are rarely held to account while they wage a smear campaign that is not only damaging to their victims, but also shattering to that individual’s sense of trust; a value that is so important to us all. The emotional cost of the victim is enormous: anything from embarrassment, to lost jobs or relationships, to emotional trauma, and even suicide.

Online harassment is as old as the web and email, and a key element in the enactment of many of the nation’s anti-harassment laws from the boardroom to the classroom. However, from these ashes has arisen a new breed of harassment in the form of anonymous bulletin boards such as Juicy-Campus and rottenneighbor.com that actively profit from this source-less vitriol by providing forums where anyone with a computer and internet access can levy slanderous attacks and rumors upon whom they choose or deem deserving.  Many of these posts include personal information such as addresses, phone numbers, and even Google Maps© street level photos of the house or location in question.

“The business model of these sites is hate,” says Parry Aftab, a lawyer that specializes in Internet privacy and security issues. “They promote it by encouraging you to say outrageous things.” Traditional venues of smear such as broadcast TV or print media has recourse available toward them through the court system; however, a 1996 law passed by congress prevents website hosts from being held responsible for what is posted on their sites from people outside of their organization. So, by law, the type of defamation that would get the New York Times sued, is all well and good on those web-sites that promulgate hate and loathing, protected by our much prized right to free speech.

But what about our right to privacy? Gossip that at one time was contained within a relatively narrow social window is now broadcast to a much wider audience, and, because of the internet, becomes kind of a permanent scarlet letter, says Daniel Solove, a professor of law at George Washington University and author of The Future Reputation: Gossip, Rumor, and Privacy on the Internet. Professor Solove goes on to propose that American privacy law adopt a more nuanced understanding of privacy by recognizing privacy in public and providing better protections of our confidentiality.

Today’s internet can be likened to a young adolescent, who persistently tests his parents’ resolve and flex his muscle. As it continues to grow in size and strength (relative to its own limitless capabilities), it will continue to evolve into an entity that will become more amazing, exciting, frightening, and terrifying with each passing day. The internet’s capabilities are limitless and only the future knows for certain where it will take us, what form it will evolve into, and for what purpose we will use it; and we will indeed use it, and use it for reasons no one has even remotely considered.  Information that you once thought was confidential will no longer be confidential. The secrets that you whisper alone into the night will invariably find their way into the public domain. Personal privacy will ultimately become your own responsibility, and you alone will be the only veil that can completely shield the world from what you don’t want it to see. As Professor Solove points out in the closing statements of his book:

The questions the information age brings us are immense and complex; and there are no easy answers. Just when we think we have a handle on these problems and issues, technology throws another wrinkle. Yet steps can be taken to protect our privacy if we make an effort. We must. After all, it’s just the beginning. (The Future of Reputation. Page 205)

This entry was posted on 31. January 2009 at 00:16 and is filed under Social Problems. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.