Social Media Means
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Should you use your real name on social media?

Clear names make you identifiable - also by the bad guys. Just imagine, your Facebook account, your email address, your Reddit identity - each account should carry your real name to make sure you become easily identifiable online.

tutanota.com - A ""Clear Name Internet"" is a dangerous place: Why anonymity ...
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Anonymous email & Co: Anonymity protects you

The vast majority of internet users are normal citizens, not criminals. Of course, there are some that abuse the internet for criminal activities. For that reason, social media services as well as some politicians want to force everyone to use the internet with their real name.

Clear names make you identifiable - also by the bad guys

Clear name experiment in South Korea

South Korea passed a law in 2007 that forced people to use their clear name for certain sites. In 2011, they abolished this law again because it did not stop people from posting abusive comments on these sites.

Clear name system China

Since 2017, online anonymity is forbidden in China, but only in regards to the authorities. This means, people must be identifiable by the authorities, but can still use the internet under a fake identity. Should we be forced to use social media, email and other online services only with our real name, this would be much worse than the authoritarian system already in place in China: Everyone would be able to track every move we make, stalkers and criminals as well as our neighbors.

Compulsory clear names are dangerous

Using the internet under a pseudonym is mainly being done for protection. It is important that others - our neighbors, our employer, and anybody else, particularly criminals, do not know everything we do online. People who are part of a minority must also be able to protect their identity. If everyone were forced to use their real name, the internet would become a paradise for stalkers, mobbers, and criminals trying to commit identity theft. Journalism, whistleblowing, activism, all of these would be threatened of becoming impossible when being forced to always use a clear name online.

Push against anonymity is pointless

The idea is that forcing people to use their clear names online would prevent crime: Hate speech, insults, threats - all of these are being uttered only because of the protective blanket of anonymity, so the assumption. Unfortunately, the opposite is the truth.

Why stopping anonymity does not stop crime

Stopping people to use the internet anonymously will not stop them from committing crimes online. Many people who hate, discriminate and threaten other people online already do this under their real name. The issue here is not identifying these people, but to prosecute online crimes.

Besides, even if everyone used their real names: How would you identify the thousands of John Smith's?

Conclusion

The push against anonymity is pointless. It brings more harm than good, and it is close to impossible enforce such a rule.

Anonymity will always be possible, and that's a good thing.

To protect your privacy and to stay anonymous online, we recommend that you sign up for Tutanota: an email service that respects your right to privacy and does not ask for a phone number or any other personally idenfiable information upon registration! Because anonymity matters. Recommended for further reading: Anonymous email: Tutanota keeps your emails secure, private and anonymous.

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Who owns highest followers on Instagram?

footballer Cristiano Ronaldo As of 21 December 2022 the most-followed person is Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo with over 520 million followers, and the most-followed woman is American reality television personality Kylie Jenner with over 375 million followers.

en.wikipedia.org - List of most-followed Instagram accounts - Wikipedia

This article is a list of the top 50 accounts with most followers on the photo and video-sharing social platform Instagram.[1][2][3] As of 21 December 2022 the most-followed person is Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo with over 520 million followers, and the most-followed woman is American reality television personality Kylie Jenner with over 375 million followers. Instagram's own brand account on the platform is the most-followed account overall, with over 580 million followers. Nike is the second most-followed brand account, with over 257 million followers. A total of 35 accounts have exceeded 100 million followers on the platform, with 19 of those having exceeded 200 million followers, 8 of those having exceeded 300 million, 3 exceeding 400 million and 2 exceeding 500 million.

Most-followed accounts

See also

Notes

^ He is also the most-followed man and European on Instagram. ^ She is also the most-followed North American on Instagram.

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