Austria: Government Seeks to Eliminate Internet Anonymity – With Severe Penalties

[Soot]

I really don't understand why enforcing accountability for your actions online would be considered a bad thing.

That said, I have no idea how, logistically, this could even be enforced if something like it were to be approved.

Because it can be abused and turned against people in malicious ways. On top of the fact that it invades your privacy.
As one quoted in the article, "In the real world, I don't demand to see an ID as a precautionary measure".

The whole notion about having so called consequences for what people say on the internet often comes from vindictive, bad people who want to hurt others because they don't agree with them. That's not the kind of people you should make laws in favor of.

[Freshouttajail]

It's a proposed law, meaning it has to be voted on and passed.

Do you think this law is a good thing? Removing anonymity? What would it change?

Other than the fact that I think it's literally impossible to accomplish, I strongly believe that IF it was possible it would be one of the best thing to ever happen to the internet.

And I'm not saying this as a way to get back at people or something, I say this as someone who exploits this in extreme manners. I'm very well aware that my behavior online is nothing like in real life and I give zero fuck about it. I'm sure a lot if not most people are doing this as well and other than "venting" any kind of feeling or just for the rush of freely saying whatever you want without any consequences, there's no tangible benefit to internet anonymity, all the pros are morally evil-leaning things.

So I entirely accept my reality and offer you this opinion: as someone who thoroughly enjoys internet anonymity I believe it negatively affects the world we live in and I am part of this problem.

[Soot]

authoritarian left wing governments do not care about freedoms, they care about control. This was always going to become a thing with how much power left wing parties have, surprised it took this long tbh. This particular bill may or maynot pass, but it won't be the last and not limited to just australia..

Austria has a right-wing government and the suggestion for this law is from the center-right Austrian People's Party.
You really, really need to read before you comment. This is embarrassing for you.
And it's Austria, not Australia... sheesus kroist...

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

authoritarian left wing governments do not care about freedoms, they care about control. This was always going to become a thing with how much power left wing parties have, surprised it took this long tbh. This particular bill may or maynot pass, but it won't be the last and not limited to just australia..

Not left wing and not Australia.

Try again.

[Doctor Amadeus]

I support this, it's a long time coming, I blame none other that people who have to be fucking stupid online for this shit.

Oh and VPNs are a fucking scam, and if this kind of think catches on, people are going to find out how useless VPNs are and just how quickly if you do something stupid those same company will sell your ass out.

VPN are good for one thing, and one thing only masking someones IP, which isn't really masked, it's borrowed from the company. No different than Caller ID Spoofing.

[Soot]

Other than the fact that I think it's literally impossible to accomplish, I strongly believe that IF it was possible it would be one of the best thing to ever happen to the internet.

And I'm not saying this as a way to get back at people or something, I say this as someone who exploits this in extreme manners. I'm very well aware that my behavior online is nothing like in real life and I give zero fuck about it. I'm sure a lot if not most people are doing this as well and other than "venting" any kind of feeling or just for the rush of freely saying whatever you want without any consequences, there's no tangible benefit to internet anonymity, all the pros are morally evil-leaning things.

So I entirely accept my reality and offer you this opinion: as someone who thoroughly enjoys internet anonymity I believe it negatively affects the world we live in and I am part of this problem.

I would not trust a website like MMO-champ with knowing what my real name is and where I live. Websites can be corrupt, websites can be bought up, websites can be hacked. Your information could easily be lost or stolen, then used against you. Imagine if MMO-champ knew this info about me and one of the admins suddenly feels like they want to stalk me or something.
We already share too much with websites.
It's a big security and privacy concern. If they want to moderate what's being said on the internet, they should focus on taking down sites that break the law, spread actual hate-speech and so on, rather than punish everyone for the actions of a few.

[Freshouttajail]

I would not trust a website like MMO-champ with knowing what my real name is and where I live. Websites can be corrupt, websites can be bought up, websites can be hacked. Your information could easily be lost or stolen, then used against you. Imagine if MMO-champ knew this info about me and one of the admins suddenly feels like they want to stalk me or something.
We already share too much with websites.
It's a big security and privacy concern. If they want to moderate what's being said on the internet, they should focus on taking down sites that break the law, spread actual hate-speech and so on, rather than punish everyone for the actions of a few.

So you don't have a facebook account and never use google products? Every single thing you said is already happening. Sure it could be worst if it was available to anyone but I think if our real identity was who we are on the internet a lot of things would be different according to this important factor. Imagining that everything would be exactly what it is now and suddenly our identity is just plugged in there is not realistic IMO.

[araine]

I'm only confused, is this like for public forums of some kind? Like Government or news agency websites or something? It seems like they couldn't actually prosecute people for any random website. How could they possibly require MMO Champion to actually force individuals to use their true identity, and in that same vein, then provide that data to the Austrian government?

You force sites to log the information and if they fail to do so they will be banned from doing business in the country really simple stuff and it is likely the only way to really combat the right wing extremism that thrives behind the hidden identities since everyone them included knows the view they hold are vile

[Kokolums]

Austria has a right-wing government and the suggestion for this law is from the center-right Austrian People's Party.
You really, really need to read before you comment. This is embarrassing for you.
And it's Austria, not Australia... sheesus kroist...

What I find amusing about this argument is that I constantly hear from people that the "right wing" in Europe is far to the left of the US democratic party. This thread is the first time I have ever seen people describe a right wing european government as truly right wing. I'm suddenly getting the impression that the European right wing is to the right of Trump now lol.

[Soot]

So you don't have a facebook account and never use google products? Every single thing you said is already happening. Sure it could be worst if it was available to anyone but I think if our real identity was who we are on the internet a lot of things would be different according to this important factor. Imagining that everything would be exactly what it is now and suddenly our identity is just plugged in there is not realistic IMO.

I don't have a facebook account no. I use a VPN, among other things. Websites keep thinking it's my first visit every time!
Yeah that's why I said we already share too much.

No, I think it would be the same. Groups would form, cliques would defend each other, cliques would target people and silence them and so on. As you said, we can do all that right now. Why make it worse?

[GreenJesus]

Read the article before you spew horseshit all over the thread. This bill was proposed by: Media Minister Gernot Blümel, of the center-right Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) and the current government is a right wing coalition.

Moving on, this bill is completely ridiculous. They can't have all the platforms they wish to include bend their system solely for their silly law.

Euro right wing is still socialist lol. Why does Europe hate freedom so much?

[Blobfish]

authoritarian left wing governments do not care about freedoms, they care about control. This was always going to become a thing with how much power left wing parties have, surprised it took this long tbh. This particular bill may or maynot pass, but it won't be the last and not limited to just australia..

Austria NOT AUSTRALIA... Fair Dinkum.



I presume this internet policy from Austria has resulted due to a link between the Christchurch NZ attack & a Far Right group in Austria.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/truecri...62139ea0c5678f

Austria’s leader has called for authorities to “ruthlessly” investigate possible ties between an Austrian nationalist group and the alleged Christchurch mosque gunman, after it emerged that a prominent far-right activist in the Alpine nation had received a donation in the suspected shooter’s name.

Martin Sellner, head of the Identitarian Movement of Austria, said on social media that police searched his apartment on Monday and seized electronic devices after he received a “disproportionately high donation” from a person named “Tarrant” — the same surname as the suspected Christchurch shooter.

[Soot]

What I find amusing about this argument is that I constantly hear from people that the "right wing" in Europe is far to the left of the US democratic party. This thread is the first time I have ever seen people describe a right wing european government as truly right wing. I'm suddenly getting the impression that the European right wing is to the right of Trump now lol.

US politics is a topsy-turvey world of up-side-down. Forgive their ignorance. They're just too ignorant to know they're being ignorant some times.
It reminds me of how they call everything and everyone a "liberal" when they don't have US-centered right-wing ideals. Being a liberal in Europe means you're right-wing, cus that's what makes them liberal, they're anti-government.

[js3915]

Euro right wing is still socialist lol. Why does Europe hate freedom so much?

Euro right wing is more like US Left Wing...

If someone in the US passed such an anti-freedom law the US right wing would overthrow said government. The US left wing would just take it up the ass like a bitch.

Either way, tech is too savvy to prevent such a thing to happen long term with VPNS or similar tech

[Mistame]

yeah yeah standard rebuttal, super clever hope you pass the bar exam. those companies have to follow the law too, even if they wanted to they can't let you say w/e you want. and the law increasingly says things like remove "bad" content fast, and the definition of "bad" varies and increases a lot lately.

i hear the web archive had to delete a bunch of historic and educational materials because of laws like this. cause urology articles totally fall under terrorism/childporn/copyright/w/e excuse exactly it was right?

What are you talking about? I merely pointed out that you don't have "free speech" rights on private servers. Also, anything that's prohibited by law isn't protected speech and thus, isn't "free speech". So your comment is irrelevant.

[Freshouttajail]

I don't have a facebook account no. I use a VPN, among other things. Websites keep thinking it's my first visit every time!
Yeah that's why I said we already share too much.

No, I think it would be the same. Groups would form, cliques would defend each other, cliques would target people and silence them and so on. As you said, we can do all that right now. Why make it worse?

Yeah let's not act like VPNs are saving the world. It can deter people who aren't persistent but it doesn't make you imune to online assault, yes even if you pay for it. I understand the use of VPNs to appear as if you connect from another place to gain access to stuff you normally wouldn't but other than that and being a celebrity at risk of being hacked there's no use for it, they are mostly a scam cashing in on people who believe internet privacy is a big deal.

[Almaric]

Euro right wing is still socialist lol. Why does Europe hate freedom so much?

We have more freedom than US, we can choose our own presidents instead of getting fucked by some antique bullshit Electoral College of clowns.

[JohnBrown1917]

Euro right wing is still socialist lol. Why does Europe hate freedom so much?

You don't have even the slighest idea what socialism is, I see.

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I support this, it's a long time coming, I blame none other that people who have to be fucking stupid online for this shit.

Oh and VPNs are a fucking scam, and if this kind of think catches on, people are going to find out how useless VPNs are and just how quickly if you do something stupid those same company will sell your ass out.

VPN are good for one thing, and one thing only masking someones IP, which isn't really masked, it's borrowed from the company. No different than Caller ID Spoofing.

Im sure the far right wing government of Austria will not abuse it, i'm suureee of it.

[Eldar45]

We have more freedom than US, we can choose our own presidents instead of getting fucked by some antique bullshit Electoral College of clowns.

That actually has nothing to do with freedom. We have a system where the individual states elect the President. The Federal Government is just that: A federation of states, not a group of 350 million people.

Because having half+1 of the 350 million people being able to decide who leads the country is what dictatorships are made of.

You don't have even the slighest idea what socialism is, I see.

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Im sure the far right wing government of Austria will not abuse it, i'm suureee of it.

I think you need to stop focusing on far left or far right. The way you talk I'm sure you'd be the kind of person to elect a leftist dictator.

[Soot]

Yeah let's not act like VPNs are saving the world. It can deter people who aren't persistent but it doesn't make you imune to online assault, yes even if you pay for it. I understand the use of VPNs to appear as if you connect from another place to gain access to stuff you normally wouldn't but other than that and being a celebrity at risk of being hacked there's no use for it, they are mostly a scam cashing in on people who believe internet privacy is a big deal.

Good thing I'm not a celebrity then.
And no, I have an actually good VPN. But many VPN's are bad or outright meaningless.