This is mentioned in the article (“attorneys for the social media giant claimed such a disclosure would violate the First Amendment rights of a user to be anony

This is mentioned in the article (“attorneys for the social media giant claimed such a disclosure would violate the First Amendment rights of a user to be anonymous”) and further explained, with citations, in the court’s decision: > “An author's decision to remain anonymous, like other decisions concerning omissions or additions to the content of a publication, is an aspect of the freedom of speech protected by the First Amendment.” McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Comm'n, 514 U.S. 334, 352 (1995). The Ninth Circuit recognizes that the decision to remain anonymous extends to anonymous speech made on the internet … The Ninth Circuit has explained that “the ability to speak anonymously on the Internet promotes the robust exchange of ideas and allows individuals to express themselves freely without ‘… concern about social ostracism.’” https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/7223134-ORDER-RICH.pdf https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/7223134-ORDER-RICH.p...