I signed up without identity verification to Hive using 3Speak. However, that does not necessarily mean that I remained anonymous.
The fact that I signed up "without identity verification" is not necessarily the same to having signed up "anonymously". There is a digital trail - a public one in fact.
3Speak required anyone who registers to Hive using their service to pay $1 (or $2 for a 15-day delegation of 15 Hive Power) using either ETH, USDC, or DAI to prevent spammers from registering massive numbers of accounts. Note that I am not against paying a small registration fee to fight spammers. My only problem is that I both wanted to be truly anonymous, and I used one of them to pay. None of the three cryptocurrencies are truly anonymous, since they are based on an unencrypted public blockchain.
The trail is detailed below.
- I used a centralized exchange to convert my fiat currency to the cryptocurrency (which posed the lowest fees).
- I used the same centralized exchange to send the cryptocurrency to 3Speak's one-time wallet for the purpose of paying for my Hive account.
- 3Speak, having received my payment on their one-time wallet, proceeds to transfer all the cryptocurrency in the one-time wallet to their own wallet of choice (now or in the near future).
As you can see, my anonymity is not guaranteed since I transacted on a public blockchain. The centralized exchange can determine via blockchain analysis (the way they catch users who violate their ToS such as those who send cryptocurrency to gambling websites) that I sent money to a wallet that most likely is controlled by 3Speak. Nevertheless, only 3Speak knows that I paid for my account using the one-time wallet.
My privacy can still be preserved by 3Speak if they hide the fact (or better, just delete them) that the one-time wallet I sent money to corresponds to my Hive account.
Now, before you click on that downvote button because you think I hate 3Speak, take note of the following:
I know that 3Speak is just protecting themselves from spammers. I am not putting any blame on them.
I know that putting an anonymous verification system that still protects against spammers is impossible (right now). I also know that is totally the responsibility of the Hive users to employ measures for themselves to remain anonymous and private, not any Hive dapp.
That said, I request 3Speak to delete any record that my payment to the cryptocurrency wallet they created to receive my payment corresponds to the fee required for the creation of my Hive account @anonymouser.
I know that they cannot prove that they fulfilled my request, since there is technically no way to prove something does not exist (or no longer exists). I just really hope they do.
I remain aware of the fact that I can simply deny that I am the person who makes any activity using this account at any point in time.
In case of investigation (whether civil or criminal) for any reason or without reason whatsoever, possible statements to deny that I am controlling this account include the fact that owner keys could be stolen at any time. The reason why I made my request to 3Speak is to prevent those investigations from discovering my identity in the first place.
I believe there is (and will be) no good reason for any government authority or corporation to prosecute or sue me based on my current posts, and future ones based on my posting behavior. Regardless of that, I still want this Hive account to never be linked to my real identity.
Remember, privacy (and anonymity) is not desired only by evil people. It is an inalienable human right. It is deserved by every human.
Thank you for reading.
Any attorney will tell you that you shouldn't write down anything as it can be used against you. Your best bet is to not have any records of anything.
I get a sense that there is a part of your anonymouser character that wants to remain anonymous and private, yet wants to push the boundaries to see how far things can go before being discovered. I think your best defense is to not post or to post less frequently. Otherwise, it will eventually breed complacency. This is when people slip up and leave a thread that can be pulled.
This post, for example, showcases a thread that can be pulled at 3speak. It could be a false trail or it could be a recipe for finding you. Either way, it is now on blockchain and can't be deleted.
Perhaps this post is a game of cat and anonymouser.
I agree with @trincowski about not posting controversial subjects. These usually excite people enough that they lose sanity. Last thing you want is a crafty crazy at your doorstep. I worry about those more than law enforcement.
I am fully aware that anything anyone says can be used against them. That said, nobody can use what anyone says against who said what when the link between who said what and what was said is very difficult to form. Though, I am aware that the more I post anonymously (no matter how careful I am), the more likely my anonymity gets compromised.
The worst anonymity compromise I have done (accidentally) until now was at least one IP address leak. I accidentally opened a link on a normal browser about looking at @anonymouser's notifications on a Hive dapp. Well, while many would assume that it's just one IP address that leaked, anybody who can record which IP addresses were used to access Hive dapps can just find an IP address that is non-Tor, non-VPN, and does not belong to another non-anonymous user, and ultimately find my real IP address and my real identity.
If the centralized exchange will uphold their Privacy Policy in which anyone (except those with valid court orders) will not be granted the request for the owner of the cryptocurrency wallet, then my (partial) anonymity should be safe for now. The same goes with 3Speak about respecting user privacy.
May I know what is "crafty crazy"? I searched online but did not find a relevant definition. I think you are referring to hackers (or other criminals), since you excluded law enforcement.
@chrisrice, @vimukthi, and @oniemaniego,
You might find this comment (and also the post) interesting. It took me more than half an hour just to write this comment.
Crafty crazy meaning someone who is intelligent enough to trace someone online, but not mentally stable. You see this with super religious people, whether they worship God or worship politics.
Thank you for your definition. I know somebody will try to uncover me eventually, even without them profiting from it if they would ever be successful.
I respect your decision @anonymouser and thank you for all of your insights, contributions & high quality content 👍
P.S. You will be missed.
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I never used this as a private account... and that's also the reason I stay clear of political and religious arguments over here. Or any other controversial topic, for that matter. I don't think this is the right place for that. 🤭
May I know which online platform is the "right" (or at least decent) place for posting about politics or religion (or any controversial topic) without fear of personal attack (such as harassment)?
I am planning to stop using this account @anonymouser soon (and also drop my plan of creating more anonymous accounts, or quit if I already have some). My last posts and comments would be about saying farewell to the people who I have fun with here on Hive.
@chrisrice @vimukthi @oniemaniego
No, don't be too fast on this. You are a valuable asset in Hive. Only a handful are contributing valuable contents, don't even think about upvote or Hive tokens you earn. That doesn't measure the value of posts, it's just a fame and likeability meter.
If the spaminator/hivewatchers isn't blacklisting you, you are not a threat in Hive for whatever reason they might think.
Stand on your advocacy, be the IT security here on Hive if you can. No one should rip off from your right for privacy and anonymity while posting about awareness.
Hive is an open platform, you may not garner much following from your field of interest, but that doesn't invalidate your expertise in that field. Even if your social circle is less than 1% of the total Hive users, that doesn't invalidate the value of your current and future contribution for a safe and secure internet presence.
#HiveOn @anonymouser!
I have already been thinking about this for several weeks.
I have to balance the benefits I bring to people versus the risks it entails to me as a user when my anonymity is compromised enough.
I don't care about the number of upvotes or amount of rewards. I just want to make sure that at least a few people read my articles. What I am concerned with is about my anonymity, and what happens when it is compromised enough.
If they blacklist me, then what would it mean? That I am a threat in Hive?
What do you mean with "rip off"? Profit from me?
It just takes one identity leak to trace all my anonymous activities here on Hive to my real identity, then all the protections granted by my anonymity will be gone forever.
I don't think this is the right platform for political content, at all. Whatever you write here will forever be public... so when it comes to discussing Politics, Religion or any other topics that might bring some people to become mad at you, I prefer to do it on closed platforms such as MeWe or Discord.
Anyway, if you're looking for something like Hive / Steem for that kind of content, I'd suggest Blurt which is a Fork of Steem... without the Downvotes option.
I am already posting a lot of political content about the right to privacy (and anonymity and free speech). As an example, governments (especially those of the United States and the United Kingdom, not to mention China and the #-Eyes) actively violate peoples' rights to privacy (and free speech). With all their power in surveillance especially the untargeted way with the help of AI, they will surely find a way to uncover anonymous users telling the truth about them. I am not scared about lawsuits because I am not posting anything illegal (criticizing governments do not count as illegal, yet); I just worry that like what governments around the world already do - violate the rights of people - but specifically targeted at me and other anonymous users.
You just gave me another reason to stop being anonymous on Hive.
I understand your opinion. Thanks for that.
I myself find arguing about politics and religion a waste of time. That does not limit me from posting my opinions about them though, especially when I still have (some) anonymity on this account @anonymouser.