Interesting story from Australia about how a judge in a defamation case wanted to find out the identity of someone uploading videos to YouTube. They didn’t have to try too hard to find him because the Sydney Morning Herald was able to work out who he was.
This raises the question – should everything that’s posted online be done as someone’s real identity?
Ever since the internet was formed, people have reveled in hiding behind a cloak of invisibility that anonymity provides. Whether it’s Twitter accounts, Wikipedia editors, or Google reviews, profiles can be created and off you go.
You can wreak havoc and no one will be any the wiser. This is the 21st century equivalent of sending a letter made up of cut out newspaper/magazine letters.
But should it be so?
Should people not be accountable for what they post online especially if it’s hurtful, defamatory or slanderous?
Now with AI, there’s an extra wrinkle to this as no one can be certain as to the veracity and validity or anything that’s posted.
The only reason this is even a question is because the Big Test companies (Google, Facebook, Twitter, etc) allow it to happen.
There should be some sort of digital passport that exists just like there is a real passport that allows you to travel from country to country.
If you want to comment on something online, you do so as you and you will have to stand behind the comments you make or things you post.
Sure, this can still be hacked and gamed but not to the same extent as it is now. This would restore some trust in online reviews as opposed to the free for all it is now.
And just like people get fake passports made, there will be people who are able to generate fake digital passports but something has to be done to improve the status quo.
People have to be protected and the spammers shouldn’t have a free hand to go about it as they please.
If you want to post videos to YouTube, by all means do so but then everyone in the world should be able to see what you posted. If this is something you’re embarrassed about, then don’t post it.