Staying anonymous on the internet is a tough challenge – some say, it is impossible nowadays. There are in fact a lot of things journalists and their sources have to take into account if they want to operate “under the radar”. To hide an online identity, a single program is not enough, but with a bunch of tools and behavioural rules, this can be achieved to an extent. The question is not so much about “being completely anonymous” as it is about “anonymous to whom”?
In this chapter, we provide basic information on how online anonymity is technically provided and what key questions journalists and sources need to answer before using these products. Moreover, we provide information about VPNs and the Tor network.
What anonymisation means – and what it doesn’t
The internet only works with data, and the data may be linked to an identity. There will never be an internet without data – so there will never be absolute anonymity, unbreakable for every potential adversary. Nevertheless, there are solutions that can make users practically anonymous. What all approaches have in…
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Factors that can compromise anonymity
There are several kinds of data that may compromise users’ anonymity online. The most important are as follows, but are not limited to these: IP address: An IP address is provided by an internet service provider (ISP). It knows the identity of the person that used their identity to make…
Key questions for anonymisation tools
Is the product Open Source? Open Source means that the code of a programme is publicly available. Everybody can review it, search for vulnerabilities and develop it further. The opposite is “Closed Source”, so that no one but the developer – e.g. a company developing an app – can review it. Especially…
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