The Future of Online Anonymity

Stricter identity verification means greater advocacy for online user transparency 
The Perils of Online Anonymity: Real Person or Sham?
We can never be totally certain with whom we are interacting on the Web. Normally, we can't see others' faces, we can't see their IDs, and we don't even know if their name is real or a pseudonym. Social media sites and tools including Skype, Facebook, and economy sharing sites such as Ebay have presented an obstacle to online anonymity, an obstacle that seems to grow steadily stronger.

More Emphasis on Identity Verification
Identity verification is especially important to the success and proper functioning of economy sharing sites such as Amazon marketplace, Airbnb, Ebay, and so forth. Without the certainty of other users' identities, there is a greater possibility of scammers and a greater likelihood that users will not be too thrilled about engaging in any online transactions. Increased identity verification measures are critical to ensuring the success of economy sharing schemes. For example, Airbnb, an online service for booking and listing accommodations, has introduced offline identity verification. Users of Airbnb will now be required to upload identification documents and to verify their phone numbers. These offline measures are combined with online identity verification measures, including the analysis of users' LinkedIn and Facebook accounts, to confirm users' identities. Offline identity verification makes it harder for bad users or spammers to delete their accounts and create new ones (or new online identities). It is likely that if the combination of offline and online identity verification proves successful, it will be adopted by other economy sharing sites.

The Confusion over Online Anonymity
Is online anonymity a good or bad thing? It's hard to say, as it may prove beneficial in some cases and detrimental in others. If the idea of personal information about you being found on the Web makes you uncomfortable, you may be in favor of online anonymity. However, if you were to buy a product or service online, you would surely want to know the identity of the other party. Whether or not you support the notion of online anonymity or not, the growth of online transactions and interactions suggests identity verification will become an increasingly important factor.