Anonymous communication

Anonymous online services allow people to communicate and share content without revealing their name or true identity. People may use pseudonyms or made up names. However, not all services that claim to be anonymous are truly anonymous. Your online activity and the content you share may still be traceable and recordable in some way.

What are the benefits?

• A sense of freedom
  You can find like-minded people and connect without feeling constrained by your offline identity.
• Being anonymous allows you to explore your identity online
  You can explore your sexuality and gender without having to settle on a label or risk the judgment of people or laws that may restrict your offline identity.
• Freedom of information
  Anonymity can help to allow information that is in the public good to be shared online. 

What are the risks?

• They may not really be anonymous
  Most anonymous online services cannot guarantee that your activity and information will be kept completely private.
• Inadvertent disclosure
  You may reveal enough information about yourself to allow other users to piece together who you are, where you live or other key details. 
• Cyberbullying, online abuse and hate
  The risk of cyberbullying, online abuse and hate speech increases if people think their behaviour and actions are anonymous. 

You can view anonymous services in the eSafety guide.