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+## Thesis
+
+The idea of a digital identification system has been gaining popularity
+in recent years. While I'm not opposed to the idea of current government
+ID becoming more "digital" I am opposed to some of the expansions that
+some seem to be proposing--some even suggesting that ID ought to be
+required to use the Internet at all. In the same vein, some have
+suggested draconian punishments for those who mock or imitate them
+online anonymously or pseudonmously.
+
+I think at this moment it should be stated on no uncertain terms that
+the right to be anonymous online is crucial and must be defended. There
+are no doubt consequences to this freedom: all freedoms have consequeces
+if they are not excercised with responsibility. That's exactly why I
+want to carefully lay out why we need such a right in the first place.
+Not only do I believe this right is critical for individuals to combat
+the growing influence of privatized surveillance in their daily lives,
+but it is critical for our free press, our national security and police
+forces, as well as our elected leaders that networked anonymous
+communication be available to the public.
+
+## What is anonymity
+
+### What about Tor
+
+Tor is a system that enhances the privacy and protection of the
+typical TCP/IP and HTTPS communications outlined in the last section by
+bouncing the user's connection through several other computers, each
+applying their own layer of encyption. Unless an operator owns all of
+the computers the user bounces through, this provides two primary
+advantages in anonymity:
+
+1. The user's true IP address and location cannot be known
+2. Any particular user's intended destination is difficult to know
+   without correlating time of connection to Tor (from an ISP) with the
+   time of exit from Tor (at the "exit node"). If the destination is a
+   hidden service, this typically cannot be known.
+
+Tor was originally developed, at least in part, to give US agents an
+advantage in covert operations. If the technology could make it so their
+suspects had no idea who they were, it made it much easier to run
+operations and gain useful intel from that person. This was articulated
+by original Tor developer XXX:
+
+Tor is still used in a similar capacity by law enforcement today.
+In addition to it's routine use in infiltrating pedophile chat
+networks, FBI agents famously used the anonymity Tor provided
+to gain the trust of the operator of the first darknet marketplace: the
+Silk Road.
+
+## Why anonymity is important for national security
+
+## Why anonymity is important for journalism, law, and justice
+
+## Why anonymity is important for the public and greater society
+
+## Where does digital ID fit in?
+
+As stated at the top of this document, I am opposed to the erasure of
+online anonymity, but not to government digital identification in
+general. In the United States, we have a requirement to get a license
+before you can drive a car and the license generally serves as your ID.
+I don't think that's an unreasonable requirement for a car. And I don't
+think it's an unreasonable requirement for certain services on the
+Internet.
+
+...
+
+