Privacy and Anonymity are two terms that are usually used interchangeably. However, the meaning of both these terms are completely different from each one. Let us try to understand how each term differs from one another, yet connected.  

Privacy  

Privacy in simple terms means an ability to keep certain information and/or communication exclusive to oneself and have control over who can access such information.  For example: Encryption is a security technique used on multiple social media platforms to ensure and maintain users’ privacy by encrypting their private chats.  

In the year 1948, the United Nations declared ‘Privacy’ as a Human-Right, and since then till today, the relevance and importance of Privacy has only risen.  

This can be clearly seen in the Post-COVID era, multiple Nations have already introduced Privacy legislations, with an aim to widen the scope of data privacy rights of the citizens, governing the flow of data inside the economy and framing guidelines on the cross-border transfers. One can surely say from the current trend of governments of different nations to digitalize their economy and heavily rely on AI & Data with an aim to boost the economy and become future-ready.

Anonymity 

The purpose of Anonymity on the other hand is to hide/conceal one’s identity but not their corresponding actions. In cyber-space one can choose to be anonymous by creating a fake profile instead. Anonymity is an essential element of freedom of speech and can be seen in multiple jurisdictions. For example, anonymity has played a vital role in whistleblower movements. However, the same is not defined in any statute nor recognized by any judicial precedence.  

 Anonymity is still seen as a grey zone for regulators and has not been explored yet, as the same poses multiple threats to the security and sovereignty of the nations.  

Security 

The purpose of Privacy and Anonymity is to enhance the security of the users during their time spent online. With Privacy, the identity is not masked, but the user’s activity is kept private and encrypted. Whereas, in case of Anonymity, the identity is masked but the user’s activity is open for public access. 

Both serve various purposes, and are vital in a democracy. Privacy is a celebrated Human-Right and the same could be seen as part of the Constitutions of multiple countries. However, when it comes to Anonymity, there has been a lot of opposition from the law-makers in various jurisdictions. 

The road to Privacy seems clear and focused with more regulations being drafted and sent out for public consultations. The path of user Anonymity is still unclear as to whether governments and law-makers would want to dismantle that space or not; with many such questions unanswered, only creating dialogues on these concerns will unravel these unexplored questions and areas.