About this event
The United States has long supported a culture of anonymity to foster both the free exchange of controversial ideas and the protection of privacy. There is a long and well-established First Amendment right to engage in anonymous speech which can only be abridged in certain circumstances. Globally, anonymity and technologies that facilitate it have been critical protections for dissidents, journalists, LGBTQ+ communities, and anyone living under oppressive circumstances, including intimate partner violence, or authoritarian governments.
At the same time, this culture of anonymity and the technical tools that enable it have been abused by bad actors to hide criminal activity and to engage in harassment, doxxing, and abuse. These realities mean that the right to anonymity both in the US and around the world has always been a qualified one, with limits to accommodate the government’s legitimate interests in countering illegal behavior and abuse.
That delicate balance is increasingly under threat. As governments around the world seek to protect children using digital technologies, they are increasingly turning to age assurance requirements that force users of all ages to surrender personal information to access services online. In another context governments, particularly in the US, are increasingly seeking the unmasking of anonymous accounts when users engage in disfavored advocacy. Finally, the rise of AI is creating new challenges — on the one hand, making it easier to identify people based on even small inferences, and on the other increasing demand for “proof of personhood” and identity verification to help counter AI-driven slop and fraud.
This year’s Future of Speech Online will examine the need for online anonymity, where it should or shouldn’t be compromised, the emerging and growing threats to anonymity online, and how to mitigate them. We will bring together civil society, academics, companies, practitioners and others to demonstrate how anonymity is used, how it is achieved technically, and what it takes to support anonymous speech into the future.