Adios Online Anonymity -- Internet Giants Begin The Big Squeeze!

As you may have already heard, there are some very strong indications that online anonymity and privacy -- at least the little that remains of it -- will soon become a thing of the past; at least insofar as social networking is concerned.

At this current time, despite the concerns of online privacy advocate organizations and regular Internet users alike, certain powerful Internet companies are moving full speed ahead to force everyone to use their real, legal names, in order to use -- or to continue to use -- the services that they offer. For example, the heads at Google have already made it clear that this is their intention, and Facebook has already begun to put this same restrictive policy into practice as well.

The reason why I know this, is because just the other day, to my surprise, I discovered that my Facebook account had been suspended when I attempted to log in to my account. The on-screen message stated that I had to use my real name, even though -- like thousands of other people -- I have been using a pseudonym ever since I opened my Facebook account some time ago.

As much as I didn't want to provide a real name, I was really left with no other choice. It was either provide a name, or lose my Facebook account, and all of the time and hard work which I have invested in it. But the issue goes much deeper than that.

In recent months, Google has made it very clear that social networking is one of a number of important parameters which is considered when determining a website's PageRank and position on its SERP's, or Search Engine Results Pages. Thus, to stay ahead in the ranking game, I have integrated a Facebook "Like" button, a Google+ button and a Twitter button into literally thousands of pages on the various websites that I operate. To lose my Facebook account at this stage would no doubt be detrimental to everything which I have strived to achieve.

Am I personally bothered by the fact that I am being forced to provide information which I prefer to not reveal? You bet! The fact is that over the past fourteen years, I have worked very hard to create an online presence using the pseudonym "The WordWeaver", and more recently, "WordWeaver Evangelist". Hundreds of thousands of people know me by this pseudonym, and they immediately connect it with my writings and the Endtime Prophecy Net website and online ministry. It is a very unique name which holds special meaning for me, as I explain in a few of my articles.

If famous Hollywood actors can use stage names or screen names, and if famous secular authors can use pseudonyms or noms de plume in order to protect their privacy, then why do Internet giants like Google and Facebook prevent online writers such as myself from doing the very same thing?

Now, some people will no doubt fall back on the old argument, "Well, if you aren't doing anything wrong or illegal, then why do you need to hide behind a pseudonym or alias?" The truth of the matter is that there are some legitimate reasons for using an online pseudonym or alias.

For example, consider people who live in societies which are ruled by oppressive governments. Being able to express their grievances online, protected by an alias, without fear of reprisal by their government, may possibly be the only outlet that they have. Being forced to use their real names online could in fact endanger their lives. Furthermore, it is a well-known fact that some of the recent civil uprisings in the Middle East were organized online, using social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.

Or consider people who are victims of spousal abuse, incest, rape, gang violence, etc. For many of these people, finding kindred spirits online -- that is, people who have suffered similar experiences, and who thus can understand and identify with them -- acts as a healing balm in their lives. Obviously, such people should not be forced to use their real names online with such services as Facebook and Google+. They need and deserve the privilege of using an alias, and having their privacy protected.

Or what about whistle-blowers who expose corruption in government, business, etc.? These people also require the privacy and protection that an online alias offers.

Internet giants such as Google and Facebook justify their actions by claiming that everyone should be held accountable for what they say online, and that this can only be accomplished by forcing people to use their real names. While this is a legitimate argument to some extent, there is another side to the coin. For example, in my particular case, as my longtime readers will already know, over the years I have written a number of controversial articles and series which have not been well-received by certain sectors of society.

I have exposed the sins and shortcomings of the Roman Catholic Church on many occasions. I have exposed the lies, deceptions and violent nature of true Islamic teachings as taught by Muhammad, as found in the Qur'an. I have exposed the spirit of compromise and liberalism which has taken control of a growing number of modern Christian denominations. I have exposed the sins of the gay and lesbian community. I have exposed the greed of materialistic, money-minded preachers and Bible teachers. I have exposed the deceptions of some of the modern cults, Christian and otherwise. I have exposed the antichrist nature of the unbelieving Jews. I have exposed the corruption within the U.S. Government and American Big Business alike, not to mention Uncle Sam's warmongering nature. I have exposed the devilish deceptions of the New Age Movement.

Because I have dared to speak out regarding these and other issues, I have made enemies. There are people who hate me, and who hate my writings. While I would hope that most of these people would be law-abiding citizens who would never allow their hatred of me and what I write to cause them to attempt some act of violence against me, all it takes is one nut case, or one Islamic extremist who is following some Muslim mullah's fatwa, to bring harm to me and my family.

For these reasons, I strongly believe that I have every right to protect my identity online. I have the right to online privacy. I have the right to conceal my real name behind a pseudonym, as well as the right to conceal where I live, my telephone number, my mailing address, and any other information which can possibly be used to lead a dangerous person to me and my family.

What gives Google, Facebook, or any other Internet company the right to discriminate against me, by limiting my services on their site, or by suspending my account altogether, if I refuse to provide my real name? Furthermore, why do they want our real names? Is it really because they believe that we should be held accountable for our words, or does it have more to do with commercial interests? Is it possible that such companies have simply gained too much online power? What do you think? Please feel free to leave your comments below. Thanks!

Before closing, allow me to make a final point. While I have discussed the importance of online anonymity and privacy, even I am not so naive as to not realize that there is no such thing as true, one hundred per cent online anonymity or privacy. There may be insofar as interactions between users are concerned, but insofar as the big Internet companies are concerned, it is my view that they aren't exactly being truthful when they claim that no "personally identifiable information" is ever transmitted.

The truth is that once an IP address is logged, it can be traced to a specific ISP, or Internet Service Provider. By law, that ISP must surrender its server log records, if it is requested to do so by an authorized government or law enforcement agency. The server log will reveal exactly which customer was using that specific IP address at any given time. The ISP can also be required to turn over any other information that it may have in its possession concerning a specific customer, such as name, telephone number, address, etc.

Furthermore, every single personal computer in the world has a unique identifier known as the MAC address, or Media Access Control address. This number is usually burned into the Network Interface Card -- or NIC -- by the card's manufacturer. Macintosh users will recognize this as the Ethernet card. If you are a Macintosh user and want to know what your MAC address is, do the following on a machine running Mac OS 10.7 Lion:

1. Launch the System Preferences app

2. Select the Network preferences pane

3. Click on the "Advanced" button that is located in the lower right corner of the Network preferences pane.

4. Click on the "Hardware" tab that is located on the top right side of the window

5. Below the row of tab labels, you will see your MAC address

On a Macintosh running Mac OS 10.4 Tiger, after selecting the Network preferences pane in the System Preferences app, simply click on the "Ethernet" tab. Upon doing so, underneath the row of tab labels you will see the Ethernet ID for the machine in question. The Ethernet ID is the same as a MAC address.

The thing is, on TCP/IP networks -- such as the Internet -- it is my understanding that MAC addresses can be queried. In short, if a government or law enforcement agency really wants to find you by following your trail on the Internet, they can discover not only your IP address, but also the MAC address of the very machine that you are using as well. What other personal information they cannot garner from your ISP, they can probably piece together from other data that you have left strewn all across the Internet, in sites that you have visited, accounts that you have opened, purchases that you have made, messageboards that you have joined, images that you have uploaded, online comments that you have made, etc.

Think about this. One piece of information alone might not be enough to identify you. In other words, it might not necessarily be "personally identifiable information". However, collectively, a lot of small pieces of information may very well reveal exactly who you are, where you live, etc. In other words, taken as a whole and properly analyzed, all of these small bits of information may in fact be "personally identifiable information".

Exactly how much large Internet companies such as Google and Facebook -- and other online businesses -- are able to piece together such information, I really do not know; but I wouldn't be surprised to learn that they can do a lot more than we think. But our biggest concern should be with what such companies do with that information after they have it. While we are often told that our personal information will never be sold or shared with other companies, what assurances do we have of this?

In light of the recent break-ins by hackers into prominent online businesses, government agencies, etc., we all have a right to question how secure the servers are on which our personal data resides. For those of you who may think that I am overreacting and simply being paranoid, allow me to inform you that some time ago, my credit card was used illegally by an individual in another country. This credit card was never physically taken out of my home one single time. It wasn't even signed. It was only used to make online purchases. Despite these facts, someone found a way to use it illegally. It took several months before I was issued a new credit card, and even longer before I was finally reimbursed for the stolen amount. I was never offered any kind of an explanation by my bank, or by the investigating authorities. I simply received a new credit card in the mail.

So again, we are only playing games with ourselves when we think that we are truly one hundred per cent anonymous -- and safe -- on the Internet. It may surprise some of you to know that even an ISP can look at your personal email if it really wants to. We just have to assume that most are ethical enough that they won't do this. Then, of course, there are government mechanisms such as the controversial "Carnivore" system, which an ISP can be legally obligated to install on its servers, if requested to do so by the government.

In conclusion, the best way to guard your online privacy is simply by being very careful regarding what kind of personal information you share online to begin with. If a website requests or demands more information that you feel comfortable with sharing, then simply don't use that service if you can help it. Find a similar service that is less intrusive.

I hope that you have found this blog post interesting and informative.