Most of the time the reason that people want to be private is to stop mainstream tech companies from gathering their data to use for targeted ads. But I’m kind of cuirous to see what are others motives for wanting to be private online.
Most of the time the reason that people want to be private is to stop mainstream tech companies from gathering their data to use for targeted ads. But I’m kind of cuirous to see what are others motives for wanting to be private online.
All the usual privacy reasons still apply, but I’ve found that for me, it’s also just an unending appreciation for anonymity.
There was a time on the internet when I felt comfortable talking to complete strangers on topics that I wouldn’t talk about with anyone that actually knows me.
From light-hearted fun, like the people we had crushes on, to the real deep shit, like sexual abuse, anorexia, depression.
Those were the closest connections I ever had. To people on the other side of the planet.
I don’t feel comfortable talking to strangers on the internet anymore. Because I have to assume that people are listening in, which know fully who I am. And could probably use that information against me in some way.
I would like that anonymity back.
On the other hand there are people who claim anonymity is a bad thing because people use it to do bad things (to post racist, sexist, homophobic shit, for example). I agree with you though. I used to post to Usenet somewhat anonymously, could send emails through open servers, etc. and it was way preferable to the current situation of having to be registered to do every little thing. Oddly I never felt the need to be abusive to anyone. Almost as though anonymity didn’t make me a bad person… Nah, that can’t be right, surely.