Curbing the excesses of online anonymity is crucial to tackling the toxicity rampant on social media. As the evidence overwhelmingly shows, anonymous accounts are the engine behind the worst digital behaviors and activity. Requiring identity verification, therefore, is a proportionate, democratic fix that protects free expression without silencing anyone.
Banning online anonymity will not reduce abuse; instead, it will expose the most vulnerable to increased risk. Whistleblowers, journalists, LGBTQ+ youth, activists and researchers, for example, all depend on anonymity for their safety and sometimes their lives. Curbing these protections would only endanger these individuals for no tangible benefit.
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