Question for Job and others / was: Re: Tor and Thunderbird: Outgoing Email Unsafe?

[Nils Vogels]

On 1/3/07, GeorgeDS <georgeds at 1net.gr> wrote:
>
> I'm having some trouble visualizing (maybe I lack
> imagination) why it should be so important to hide yourself from someone
> receiving your email. If you've already gone through a free email
> service, and used an obscure email name, your real IP has negligible
> value. That is unless the emails were harassing or otherwise violated
> the origin ISP policies, in such a way that the ISP might reveal sender
> information to the recipient, or cancel the sender's account.

Think about cases such as whistleblowing about for instance corporate
activities that are illegal or suspected illegal, without it having
reprecussions in your professional career, or personal situation.

Think possible AA-meetings over the internet, or discussing hobbies
that are frowned upon by activist groups in society, such as rituals
involving animals or crossdressing, just to name a few.

> It's unlikely to be relevant in this situation (Job does not appear to
> be a US resident), but US residents who use Tor to harass or annoy email
> recipients anonymously are committing a federal crime. In early January
> 2006, Bush signed the Violence Against Women Act, which provided among
> other things "Whoever...utilizes any device or software that can be used
> to originate telecommunications or other types of communications that
> are transmitted, in whole or in part, by the Internet... without
> disclosing his identity and with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten, or
> harass any person...who receives the communications...shall be fined
> under title 18 or imprisoned not more than two years, or both."

This reads to me that you are implying that if you are not annoying,
abusing or threatening, you have no need to hide your identity.

This, to me, is the world upside-down. My identity is not something I
give out to just anybody, especially not over the internet, where I
can not verify what happens with this information.

Greetings,

Nils
-- 
Simple guidelines to happiness:
Work like you don't need the money,
Love like your heart has never been broken and
Dance like no one can see you.