Internet Anonymity – No Such Thing
April 8th, 2009 by Kiwi Commons
Is it possible to share data online and still protect your personal identity? Internet privacy guidelines, privacy legislation and privacy policies on websites all feed the illusion that we can mount a close to foolproof identity defense. But the truth is no-one can really insure 100% information privacy or anonymity. Information about you or your web activities can be collected in various ways for various purposes without your knowledge or consent.
Risks will always linger amid the fine-print privacy disclaimers, intersecting data transmission paths, spyware technology and de-anonymization algorithms. Wait a minute, let’s rewind. What the heck are “de-anonymization algorithms”? It is the very key to unlocking someone’s identity across social networks, according to a recent study from the University of Texas.
Researchers Vitaly Shmatikov and Arvind Narayanan have demonstrated that “anonymity” of members on social network sites is a fictional and misleading concept. This de-anonymization algorithm entails an analysis of the anonymous member’s network of connections across different services. Identification capability is determined by the overlap in relationships among the member’s networks. With this connecting of the dots, voila! The user’s identity soon comes into view.
The tried-and-true algorithm has been demonstrated on users of two popular online social networks – Flickr and Twitter with a promising 12% error rate. The researchers claim the technique can be applied to “any set of social networks where real-life information is exposed at the edges.”
So, aside from large-scale global surveillance, you may be wondering what vulnerabilities this study implies in your everyday life. For one, the technique can allow abusive marketing by an unethical company. By this I mean, the company may de-anonymize your identity by using your available information online as a way of targeting their products or services towards you.
Another concern of the researchers is that the de-anonymization technique may leave people increasingly susceptible to “phishers, spammers, stalkers, investigators, nosy colleagues, employers and neighbors.”
So the lesson to be learned here is, online fingerprints are no longer just a last name or an address. Your network connections and even publicly expressed preferences and recommendations online can leave you identifiable.
Here are three steps to protecting your identity on social networks:
1. Stay informed about identity and security threats
2. Filling out only required information during registration
3. Fabricating personal information for the required fields (if the information is not necessary).
Posted in Internet Safety | 
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