Be afraid bloggers, be very afraid
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Dear readers,
It was only a matter of time before the lawyers got their teeth into the blogosphere and even though it didn’t exactly grab the headlines today, it seems as though the mask of anonymity provided online is about to be taken away. Have a read of the story, and leave your reactions in the comments box. I have a bad feeling this might be the beginning of the end….
With apprehension,
A.Tory
Witanagemot Blogs
The article was not as serious as I feared. Certainly the situation at home (England) as nowhere near as restricted or brutal as here in Thailand, where the police can arrest any blogger or internet user and not be held accountable.
The article you cite seems focused strictly on libel cases, there is no suggestion that freedom of expression will be endangered. Sheffield Wednesday fans will still be able to complain about their rubbish team who will finish below us this season. In any case, there is a big difference between legal threats to internet users and actual application. Tracking down forum users can be difficult for various reasons.
The situation is certainly not as bad as some countries, such as Egypt where you cannot even criticise the government without being thrown in jail.
However, after the Usmanov problems where one rich man’s lawyers shut down several blogs after he took offence to something that was said (notice the lack of a court trial, which would have supported the views of the blogger), it seems to me that the balance is gradually moving away from freedom of expression – but not so quickly as to arouse suspicion. How long before web hosts have to start giving up IP addresses for comments that someone didn’t like?
The best news I have read for some time. Call me old-fashioned but if you are not prepared to write and say what you think under your own name then you should keep it to yourself. Anonymous bloggers are like cowardly members of a mob, hiding their identities in the crowd as they seek to destroy other people’s reputations. I hope they get their arses sued off!
I agree that there should be nowhere to hide. I write this blog anonymously for my own personal reasons, suffice to say that I wouldn’t be stupid enough to make libellous remarks – and if I did say something out of turn, I can have no complaints about someone taking legal action against me.