Kentucky Representative Tim Couch and the Real World Risks of Online Security

Kentucky Representative Tim Couch has a windmill to slay. According to a Kentucky television station, WTVQ, Representative Couch has recently introduced legislation that would make anonymous comments online illegal. If it passes, the legislation would require that users register on a website prior to making comments.

This registration would require a user to use their real name, physical address and their email address; real names would also be used on the website in conjunction with the comment. If a website fails to comply with these requirements, they will face stiff penalties in the form of fines ranging from $500 - $1000.

Representative Couch believes that this law would curb the proliferation of cyberbullying and online harassment. He is right. While the spread of brain-dead, harmful comments will be limited, so will the benefits and safety net that anonymity allows. By limiting the ability to have anonymity online, we shift the danger of cyberbullying to real-world harassment and bullying risks.

Many, if not most anonymous internet users are not causing problems. They simply do not want the hassles that accompany being publicly known to a worldwide audience. Take the registered users of Associated Content as an example. Many use pseudonyms or pen names for their writing in order to maintain some separation between an online career persona and a professional career persona. The writers are not changing their names to avoid ownership of their material; most writers are proud of their work. They change their names so that they are not harassed outside of the internet.

If Representative Couch's bill were to become law, two things would occur. Firstly, internet users will be exposed to real-world risks. The availability of information online from services like Google Maps and online phonebooks would endanger many. Imagine an internet where children and young adults are forced to use their names in order to interact online. Secondly, the flood of lawsuits and arrests arising from such real-world harassment would become overwhelming, eventually rendering the law useless.

I understand Representative Couch's frustration with the current state of the internet. I am often baffled by a person's lack of ownership for comments that they wouldn't make if they had to attach their name to them. However, I am not willing to sacrifice my choice to protect myself, my family, and my anonymity online. To do so would put too much at risk.