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StopDisinfo910today at 2:00 PM1 replyview on HN

> I believe it's because the governments (which are far more powerful than any "corporation", because they have the de facto monopoly of violence: Microsoft can sue you, but the government can just jail you) can then pressure said companies if there's something that is not liked, with all consequences that come from there.

But the idea that giving your ID changes anything is a fiction. These platforms already require you to provide your phone numbers or an email. They have your location. They already know who you are and they can already be pressured by the government for all that. They don't even need to be pressured actually. They willfully share a ton of information as has been shown time and time again. The ID that you can somehow get plausible deniability regarding the association between your social media profile and identity is a complete myth.

> There's no need to bring conspiracy theories in, FTR. The power of the government must be always limited and bound by strong chains, and this goes in the opposite direction.

I don't think a theorical, overblown and mostly fictitious increase in risks trumps the very real need to limit the armful impact of these actors. It makes for ok-ish lobbying but that's pretty much it.


Replies

lbeltrametoday at 2:32 PM

> But the idea that giving your ID changes anything is a fiction

I'd say it's an expansion of the "attack surface". Not to mention: what happens with those IDs after the fact?

> I don't think a theorical, overblown and mostly fictitious increase in risks

It already happened in my country (an European country) during the pandemic (and not in the first days). So it's not fictitious.