Online Anonymity and the BBS

Apparently, the appropriate response to the fatal attack on the MP last week is to ban online anonymity from social media. Now, the BBS is social media so are you are ready to have to register under your own names

And this was on the same day as our Great Leader talked about "Sandal wearing greenshirts" in the super soaraway Sun. Something tells me they are looking in the wrong direction... again.

 

I believe that you should need ID to register with all the major social media such as Facebook and Twitter etc to help mitigate abuse etc...

A football forum? I'm not so sure. I suppose you could set up a burner email address to login if you wanted, but I'm guessing 99% of us have used a regular email address to register and should anything illegal take place on here then along with IP could be passed to the relevant authorities.

It is about balancing freedom with safety, I guess. In an ideal world we wouldn't need to.

As for it being a solution for the attack, no that isn't really going to help...

 

If this applies to football forums the Millwall one must be bricking it.

 

I’m m sure he’s no need to worry as no one on this forum at least would dream of using derogatory terms like Picanini or letter box faces to describe people that could lead to hate speech .

 

I agree with you.

 

You don't need it, just follow the law. Anyone can be anonymous on line, as long as what is posted is legal. Every computer is traceable anyway through the IP address.

 

Nearly every social media Username I use, whether on here, Twitter, FB or others - I have pretty much always had to register it to an email address. So I have never quite got where the anonimity bit happens. We are all traceable.

If some thick fcuker on Twitter called @AdolfTheBrit or @MoTheJihadi wants to spout vitriol thinking they are invisible behind a 'clever' handle then surely they signed up under a traceable email addy in the first instance? Even modern forums that allow you to post or register using your Google or FB login are still also traceable back the the underlying email addythere too. And most email addys are traceable to a real person / physical address.

 

I think you might be underestimating how easy it is to set up an email address in a false name, and there are plenty of people on here who use VPNs to mask their IP address absolutely not for watching streams of games.

I myself have an email address where the name on the account is Fox Mulder, and the registered home address is a random ZIP code i found in America. There's no one policing it, and if I was the sort of person to spread hate online, I think it would be difficult to trace it back to me.

 

If they use a VPN then it makes it very difficult to trace them.

 

Was going to say this self same thing. I started using a VPN a few months ago as it was bundled in with my internet security package.

 

I don't see how this could possibly work - for the reasons listed in the thread. The government seem not to understand technology (ok, a lot of things but tech in particular).

Whilst some ideas come from a good place (or a sense that they have to be seen to be doing *something*), there is no actual thought in it.. Did the porn changes ever get made to protect children (who would use a VPN or use Torrents/Usenet) cookies (to be fair this may not have been the UK Government) are just a mess, and this - which can easily be avoided with VPNs and fake details. Do they know about the dark web exists?

 

I think it closed down a few weeks ago(?)

 

Really? That's a bit of good news.

 

Yep! I think it was over a month ago now... not sure if they closed it following advice or it was just shut down after a load of complaints

 

Fair enough. You wouldn't believe I work in the industry I guess I still cling to the days you could set up an email address by giving your kosher details. I get the part about VPN's, they merely mask your IP and present you from another location. They don't necessarily mask your email address though.

 

Ignoring that VPNs or even TOR exists, or that it is possible to create a disposable email address that even you can't access, this is a moronic idea. Are we going to make under 18s post under their real name as well?

 

You can create a fake email address easily though. Couple that with a VPN then you can post anonymously without fear of retribution.

Needing a passport or driving licence to access Twitter would stop the majority of abuse in its tracks.

 

It would also kill the platform. No bad thing I suppose. Can you imagine old Karen trying to get her FB sorted? It just wouldn't happen (again, no bad thing), but good does come of these platforms at times.

[I also sometimes believe, some people of a certain age believe Facebook is the Internet]

 

I'm sure it would affect a minority in the grand scheme of things - those it did affect would most likely have a family member or friend to help etc.

Something needs to change, that's for sure.

 

I'm all for transparency on social media to eliminate hate speech.... when journalists and the media are held accountable and prosecuted for spewing hate filled bile across their platforms.