To save our democracy, we must get rid of online anonymity

As the presidential election approaches, a Pew Research survey this year found that “about two-thirds of Americans say they think social media is bad for democracy.” A similar Pew survey reports that about 70 percent of Americans believe social media makes people “less civil in how they talk about politics.”

Baked into our continuous scrolls and clicks, social media has inadvertently fostered the rise of anonymous human bad actors along with “bot farms” — that is, networks of fake accounts. These bot brigades are frequently operated by foreign governments, including Russia, Iran and China, in order to impersonate Americans and interfere in elections. They deliberately spread misinformation, sow discord and poison the well of civil discourse. Russian operatives recently bragged that social media companies detect only 1 percent of their fake accounts.

How do we balance protecting a user’s privacy while holding them accountable for actions violating the law or a site’s Terms of Service? How do we eliminate anonymously boosted content from all originators and the manipulation of our opinions? How do we protect the rights of free speech by nurturing civil discourse among real people? That's the backbone of democracy.

There certainly are many circumstances where anonymity must be protected, as for whistleblowers, journalistic sources, political dissidents and others speaking truth to power. But when it comes to social networking, anonymity creates far more problems than it solves.

Online platforms that market themselves as anonymous, such as 8kun (formerly 8chan), have enabled their users to engage in violent and sometimes illegal activities without fear of consequences. Similar dynamics play out on the larger mainstream networks like Facebook and X, where countless anonymous accounts routinely wreak havoc.

How do we solve this puzzle? It’s time for a non-tracking user ID verification system, requiring social media platforms to verify the true identities of their users.

Previously, I have been outspoken against verification systems. A decade ago, as a steering committee member of the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace and the Identity Ecosystem Steering Group, I fought against the proposed “national identity system.” It was, I believed at the time, a violation of the individual right to privacy.

Fast-forward to today, however, and user ID verification has become a necessity. True verification is the only viable way for a social media platform to avoid the onslaught of bots, trolls and manipulative human forces hiding behind the curtain of anonymity. The present and future of democracy is at stake.

It’s also the only way to protect kids. According to the U.S. Surgeon General’s national advisory in 2023, “nearly 40 percent of children ages 8–12 use social media.” At the same time, adults can pretend to be kids to deceitfully interact with them.

Here’s the reality check: Our personally identifiable data is already out there. It's in the hands of marketing companies, data brokers, the dark web and governments worldwide. It’s time to end the charade and acknowledge that our human and digital identities are known. We should leverage this data constructively, while vigorously protecting our privacy as much as possible.

The ideal user ID system has the sole purpose of verifying legitimate users. It won’t track or monitor, and won’t collect user data beyond the minimum necessary for verification. The system needs to work not just for users on our shores but for users worldwide. It can be supported by exceptional AI tools.

The movement toward user ID verification is gaining legislative traction. Last year, a bipartisan group of senators introduced the Protecting Kids on Social Media Act. If passed, this federal bill would require social media platforms to verify the age of account holders. In September, California Gov. Gavin Newsome signed a bill requiring social media companies verify users’ ages. Several states have introduced similar laws, although many face challenges in court.

Momentum is also building abroad. Australia announced plans in September to implement mandatory user ID verification to prevent young children from joining social media.

Social media companies aren’t going to do this voluntarily; federal legislation is required. Instead of relying exclusively on government-controlled verification processes, an alternative is for social media companies to partner with a vendor or create their own verification systems. Of note, a handful of independent companies already provide user verification for financial services and other industries.

No solution is perfect, but in weighing the benefits versus the risks, user ID verification is the best option we have. It will give social media platforms the upper hand in the battle against bad actors creating fake accounts online to disrupt the genuine communication of real human beings.

Kids win, democracy wins, and anonymity is the loser — RIP.

Mark Weinstein is a world-renowned tech thought leader, privacy expert and the founder of the social network MeWe. His book, “Restoring Our Sanity Online: A Revolutionary Social Framework” published in September 2024.