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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.
...
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