The end of anonymity?

[Sephirah]

From: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18404621

Websites to be forced to identify trolls under new measures

Websites will soon be forced to identify people who have posted defamatory messages online.

New government proposals say victims have a right to know who is behind malicious messages without the need for costly legal battles.

The powers will be balanced by measures to prevent false claims in order to get material removed.

But privacy advocates are worried websites might end up divulging user details in a wider range of cases.

Nicola Brookes had been falsely branded a paedophile and drug dealer by users - known as trolls - on Facebook.

Facebook, which did not contest the order, will now reveal the IP addresses of people who had abused her so she can prosecute them.

The new powers, to be added to the Defamation Bill, would make this process far less time-consuming and costly, the government said.

Complying with requests would afford the website greater protection from being sued in the event of a defamation claim.

The new rules would apply to all websites - regardless of where they are hosted - but the claimant would need to be able to show that the UK was the right place to bring the action.

(The article continues)

...

So, is being able to shine a light under the bridges where trolls live a good thing?

[peky]

Live to the Brits ! I want to see them going after somebody in Nigeria or other place like that, GFL.

I also heard that the UK is also going to start archiving every post, tweet, text, or anything their chaps or lasses type the UK. I wonder the number of supercomputer they are going to purchase for such a task!!! Who would be paying for it ?

[Sephirah]

I also heard that the UK is also going to start archiving every post, tweet, text, or anything their chaps or lasses type the UK.

Sort of. The rules are that ISP's are required to keep certain details of every email you send or receive (time, date, who it was sent to or received from, but NOT actual content). It is kept for a year, and can be accessed by public bodies like the police etc.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7819230.stm

Edit: this seems to be the latest state of affairs, and it goes a lot further than email, even pushing into online gaming: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18434112

Awesome. Now we just need Davina McCall and we're pretty much there.

[Kelly J. P.]

 More and more measures to put an end to privacy and the ability to oppose corrupt governments. I wonder how the world will be in a hundred years...  fascism everywhere, perhaps, or some sort of revolutionary war.

Doesn't sound fun.

[King Malachite]

More and more measures to put an end to privacy and the ability to oppose corrupt governments. I wonder how the world will be in a hundred years...  fascism everywhere, perhaps, or some sort of revolutionary war.

Doesn't sound fun.

Agreed


If I may quote the Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 trailer.... "Aside from the fact that I'm still alive....none of this surprises me."