Thomas Paine, Banksy, and the Arab Spring
The importance of maintaining anonymity and privacy in an increasingly digital world.
In 1776, Thomas Paine published the pamphlet Common Sense anonymously in order to avoid retribution for speaking out against the authority of the British government. This call for independence notably led to the American Revolution.
Famous street artist and activist, Banksy, uses anonymous art to express his political and social commentary. His pieces around the world reflect themes of anti-war and anti-consumerism that urge the public to reflect on their relationship with power and authority.
The anonymity network, Tor, allowed protestors a method of bypassing the censored internet from their government in order to reach social media and online communication platforms that were particularly vital in the Arab Spring revolution. This allowed citizens to post truthful things they had witnessed or experienced, organize protests, and raise awareness.
“If the prisoner is never sure when he is being observed, he becomes his own guardian.” — Michel Foucault
It is no surprise now that Google, Facebook, and other commonly used websites are tracking, storing, and trading every move made online in order to squeeze ad revenue from their users. Massive troves of data are constantly being collected by both companies and the government to monitor, record, and scrutinize everything that is said and done online.
To show a very small example, here is a map that Google is storing of everywhere I have been in Seattle in the last month. This doesn’t even come close to illustrating the huge profile of clicks, pageviews, searches, and everything else I don’t know is being recorded and stored about me for targeted advertising or to share with the government.
As all of our activities in the digital world are increasingly under the microscope, the right to privacy and speech have never been so important to maintain. While illegal activities and cyberbullying are commonly cited as reasons against anonymity, I would argue that it’s absence has much more daunting effects.
“Those who surrender freedom for security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.” — Benjamin Franklin
Thomas Paine, Banksy, and the Arab Spring have used anonymity to spark revolutions under oppression. But anonymity isn’t just for protecting political dissidents against retribution from repressive governments. Encryption and online anonymity are incredibly important to allow for personal privacy and freedom in this constantly surveilled digital world. Anonymity helps protect victims seeking advice or help without revealing their identities, medical patients searching for sensitive information, artists, and anyone else who doesn’t want every facet of their life logged into a permanent marketing profile. Anonymity in the digital world is absolutely critical to maintaining an open Internet and protecting your right to privacy.
