Should anonymity be removed from social media or will it erode personal freedom and possibly erode democracy?

On gransnet though WE don’t know who each other are but gransnet does.
If any one of us wrote some of the unbelievably horrible things then we could be identified. There surely must be a way of keeping an identity private from all and sundry but available to the police if it it poses a risk to someone’s life?

I agree there are very personal things I wouldn't open up about if it was not anonymous here. I'd also be public for abusive people who I don't want to see me to read my comments.

However would it not work for the platform itself to hold that information and just require ID to sign up?

It’s difficult isn’t it? A man has just been arrested in Wales for responding to a tweet from a Welsh MP calling for kindness following the killing of Sir David Amess with a death threat. Being able to reply with a pseudonym does encourage trolls to say things that they would never want to be associated with, and some of the abuse online is terrible. The sad thing is, for people on forums like Gransnet, and many other genuinely supportive forums it would be a death knell I think, because people often don’t want to share issues problems using their own name which can be looked at by everybody who knows them.

I hope we will never follow what China does on anything!
There is a medium way where these issues can be resolved though and it’s through legislating that the forum companies themselves do certain things to curtail the horrible spread of hate mail.If they refuse then they should be prosecuted.
They must start taking responsibility for their own non action.

25Avalon

Smileless you risk a visit from the State Security Police, which I would imagine could be rather unpleasant. It depends what you post I suppose but obviously anything anti-government is a no no. That would knock out a lot of GNetters!

Yes please refer to the German ideology pre-WW 2

That will give you a good picture of what we are sleepwalking into.

Smileless you risk a visit from the State Security Police, which I would imagine could be rather unpleasant. It depends what you post I suppose but obviously anything anti-government is a no no. That would knock out a lot of GNetters!

I can see both sides of the argument, to be honest. There's no doubt that some people need to be called to account for some of the vile stuff they spew on social media - they need to realise that freedom of speech (which should also be protected) does come with responsibilities and potential consequences. And no matter what restrictions are put in place, there will always be those who find a way to circumvent them.

It would certainly change the face of social media. And maybe that's what is needed. There's some vile comment on many a forum.

I don't think I'd want it but it's not really a case of what I want. Social media has given a voiced to all. And sadly it's being abused.

It's a double edged sword. I've no doubt it would put a stop to trolling and bullying but would those of us who open up about very personal and unpleasant issues here on GN for example, feel they could do so.

The ID policy in China, does that allow for a person to have a user name on line so others on social media don't know who they are, but the authorities do?

I'm not advocating this, just curious.