Anonymous profiles enable critical speech for vulnerable populations. One participant (P3) used an anonymous account to report workplace harassment without fear of retaliation. Conversely, the same tools enable coordinated harassment campaigns (e.g., “brigading” of local community pages). Notably, 44% of survey respondents had received abusive messages from an anonymous account, yet 68% said they would oppose a total ban on anonymity.
| Motivation | % of Interviewees (N=25) | Example Quote | |------------|--------------------------|----------------| | Privacy & surveillance avoidance | 88% | “I don’t want employers or my family seeing my mental health posts.” (P7, 32, female) | | Expression of stigmatized views | 72% | “I’m queer in a conservative town. My real name would get me harassed.” (P12, 21, non-binary) | | Trolling or entertainment | 40% | “Sometimes I just want to argue without it ruining my reputation.” (P19, 24, male) | fb anonymous profile
The Rise of the Digital Mask: Motivations, Behaviors, and Implications of Anonymous Profiles on Facebook Notably, 44% of survey respondents had received abusive