Online Anonymity

A Pew Internet survey reveals that most of us have taken steps to try to hide what we are doing while online. Lead author Lee Rainie tells why people want to keep their activities under wraps.  “One of the big motives for people wanting to be anonymous online is they don’t want others to steal stuff from them.” Rainie tells what cyber users are private about.  “Hiding from hackers, hiding from advertisers and hiding from family, friends, spouses, bosses and coworkers.” Some people have good reason to worry about privacy, adds Rainie.  “Eleven percent of Internet users have lost some very important financial information; their Social Security number, their credit card number or their banking information, because of their online activities.” Rainie tells what Internet users really would like to have.  “What they would like is more powerful privacy protection laws that would give them the capacity to be anonymous or at least give them a lot more control over who sees what when they’re online.” Nearly 9 out of 10 Internet users would like to keep something from someone, concludes Rainie. “The vast majority of Internet users, 86% of American adults, say at one time or another they have used practices to hide themselves from others or to mask themselves or otherwise try to cover their footprints online.”