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I agree with your point about these platforms causing more harm, but I disagree with this proposition. > One thing would be to require people to provide proof

I agree with your point about these platforms causing more harm, but I disagree with this proposition. > One thing would be to require people to provide proof of real identity, so that anyone that redistributes content like this can be sued and it gets much harder to create fake profiles. Firstly, real names don't really keep people from doing things that can get either themselves or others in trouble. Facebook, the platform that probably has real names for most of its users, is where so much hatred is spread by people using their real names. People use the same Facebook logins on news and other sites to comment with their real name and say hateful things. Just as most companies and people don't really care much about software security (because the consequences of breaches are not widespread and not expensive enough to take these seriously), most people don't care about legal consequences of their online behavior either. Imposing legal consequences on a platform that by itself violate its users' privacy repeatedly with no real regrets or change of heart is a slippery slope that would lead to many innocent people being processed. Secondly, "fake" names are used by many people who are vulnerable (for various reasons – could be victims of abuse or marginalized groups or people who are discriminated against or activists or dissidents). Not allowing that would cause a lot of real problems for real people (running in millions or hundreds of millions). Such names may also be used by those who value privacy. Not all of them...let me correct myself, not even most of the people who use such names are involved in spreading terror and hatred (however much politicians with self-serving interests might use this argument to try to fool the public). We seem to live in a time where people are openly proud of being bigots and using their real names to prove that on every platform, as if it's a badge of honor. That cannot be solved with identity verification or forcing real names without causing a lot more harm to many more people.

orbifold 8y ago
To me this not so much about the name that is displayed publicly, but about the fact that if you allow someone to publish on your platform, you should have proof of their identity, so that you can hold them legally accountable for their actions. At least in Germany hate speech, defamation, harassment, incitement to violence and so on are actually prosecuted and proof of identity would make that prosecution much easier (and yes I understand that there are different standards for speech in the US)

orbifold 8y ago

To me this not so much about the name that is displayed publicly, but about the fact that if you allow someone to publish on your platform, you should have proof of their identity, so that you can hold them legally accountable for their actions. At least in Germany hate speech, defamation, harassment, incitement to violence and so on are actually prosecuted and proof of identity would make that prosecution much easier (and yes I understand that there are different standards for speech in the US)