Electronic coding of messages that will permit freedom of choice to deal with anonymous messages or that will refuse to deal with them should be devised. Guidelines should be refined so as to permit the use of aliases and pseudonyms in electronic playgrounds and to preserve the privilege of posting anonymous messages when doing so serves some useful public purpose like whistle-blowing. To preserve order and civility, however, abusive posters of anonymous messages must not be permitted to insulate themselves from accountability for their wrongdoing.
Predictor: Branscomb, Anne Wells
Prediction, in context:In her 1995 paper “Anonymity, Autonomy and Accountability,” published in the Yale Law Journal, Anne Wells Branscomb writes: ”Electronic coding of messages that will permit freedom of choice to deal with anonymous messages or that will refuse to deal with them should be devised. Guidelines should be refined so as to permit the use of aliases and pseudonyms in electronic playgrounds and to preserve the privilege of posting anonymous messages when doing so serves some useful public purpose like whistle-blowing. To preserve order and civility, however, abusive posters of anonymous messages must not be permitted to insulate themselves from accountability for their wrongdoing.”
Biography:Anne Wells Branscomb, an expert in technology and the law, was the author of “Who Owns Information? From Privacy to Public Access” (Basic Books, 1994), and the 1995 Yale Law Journal article “Anonymity, Autonomy, and Accountability as Challenges to the First Amendment in Cyberspaces.” (Legislator/Politician/Lawyer.)
Date of prediction: January 1, 1995
Topic of prediction: Controversial Issues
Subtopic: Anonymity/Personal Identity
Name of publication: The Yale Law Journal
Title, headline, chapter name: Anonymity, Autonomy, and Accountability: Challenges to the First Amendment in Cyberspaces
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://web5.infotrac.galegroup.com/itw/infomark/25/937/33272584w5/purl=rc2_EAIM_1_Anonymity,+autonomy,+and+accountability_________________________________________________________&dyn=sig!1?sw_aep=ncliveec
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Bricker, Erin E.