Internet users may have compelling reasons to seek anonymity online, for example, to discuss stigmatizing issues with others like themselves, or to express dissident opinions. This project studies what people believe it means to be anonymous online, how their privacy and security are affected by their strategies to achieve anonymity, and how they are likely to use new anonymity services. These questions are important because the traceability of users? actions across sites and contexts is ever greater, increasing risks for users who may misjudge their actual anonymity. The research involves interviews, surveys, and experimental studies to identify user motivations and practices, situational factors, and individual differences that lead people to desire anonymity. The research investigates the risks that users? perceive in their interactions, their motivations to avoid being identified, and the strategies they employ to mitigate risks they perceive to themselves and their relationships. A key component of this work is identifying cross-national and cultural differences in anonymity motivations and actions of people in countries such as China, where the government monitors and blocks Internet communications. This information will be used to design instructional materials and other tools that provide users with feedback and better strategies to protect themselves against risk. This project will inform cyberspace technical design and policy by addressing the SaTC goals of understanding, predicting and explaining prevention, attack, and defense behaviors and contributing to strategies for remediation.
