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Want anonymity? Make a persona not a mystery

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Re: Want anonymity? Make a persona not a mystery

#71

Post by philwelch »

onetimeusename wrote: post #22

I've noticed the number of places that let you use ephemeral accounts has really dwindled. Spam, marketing, LE, and I am sure other reasons have it so persistent accounts are more common. So creating a persona is probably the easiest way to be somewhat anonymous online but it's getting harder to create unlinked accounts (using new phone numbers and unlinked to your other accounts) and when it crosses into the real wo…

A fun book about this stuff is Michael Bazell’s Extreme Privacy: What It Takes to Disappear in America. With extreme effort you can keep a surprising number of things unlinked from your government name if you really want to.

Re: Want anonymity? Make a persona not a mystery

#72

Post by mym1990 »

O__________O wrote: post #34
erstorreyk wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

https://stylometry.net/user?username=O__________O

Yep, like I said, I have very healthy expectations of how to maintain anonymity. Fortunately GPT will largely fix the issue of statistical analysis of variations in writing style between one writer and another. Stylometry been around a long time, as with all security, you have to know you threat model, and adjust accordingly. To my knowledge stylometry never made me less anonymous.

Can you give insight into how that top 10 chart demonstrates anonymity?

Re: Want anonymity? Make a persona not a mystery

#73

Post by ghaff »

moffkalast wrote: post #48
zerodensity wrote: post #38

Liked the write-up was a fun read. But I really don't get the point of being anonymous on social media.

> Create a believable persona This is also a lot harder than it seems, once you start lying it's easy to slip up or provide details that are aren't self consistent. As long as you rely on people just accepting the answer and being immediately satisfied with that it'll work. Inb4 "oh hey I'm also from , remember that one thing?".

I agree with your general point.

But, assuming I wanted a fake background that would pass casual scrutiny, I'd make something up that was close enough to the truth but not close enough that anyone would think anything was off if we got to casual chatting. I'd probably say I was from and/or lived in some city I knew extremely well but had never actually lived in. Maybe say I got an undergrad degree from somewhere I got a grad degree. Etc.

Re: Want anonymity? Make a persona not a mystery

#74

Post by xpe »

chaboud wrote: post #19

Ah yes... I'm Skimmington Harborough, Esq., I come from a family that made its fortune in philanthropy generations ago. This seems like a pretty straightforward mechanism for covert operatives, to generate a believable (and memorizable) cover that pulls attention away and maintains coherence. That said, as someone who prizes ethical behavior, it's not possible to practice this and remain wholly honest without some so…

It is not categorically imperative to never lie nor misrepresent. The opposite is true. There are some situations where "standard" ethical principles (don't lie, don't kill) are unethical. If left with no alternative, lethal self-defense is not just acceptable, but is morally necessary. An exception to the exception might exist if your attacker is acting justly, but that takes it to another level of analysis.

Re: Want anonymity? Make a persona not a mystery

#75

Post by JohnFen »

onetimeusename wrote: post #22

I've noticed the number of places that let you use ephemeral accounts has really dwindled. Spam, marketing, LE, and I am sure other reasons have it so persistent accounts are more common. So creating a persona is probably the easiest way to be somewhat anonymous online but it's getting harder to create unlinked accounts (using new phone numbers and unlinked to your other accounts) and when it crosses into the real wo…

> Your mailman might think a stranger is living with you.

All the better! I don't know why this would be a problem.

Re: Want anonymity? Make a persona not a mystery

#76

Post by 3pt14159 »

chaboud wrote: post #19

Ah yes... I'm Skimmington Harborough, Esq., I come from a family that made its fortune in philanthropy generations ago. This seems like a pretty straightforward mechanism for covert operatives, to generate a believable (and memorizable) cover that pulls attention away and maintains coherence. That said, as someone who prizes ethical behavior, it's not possible to practice this and remain wholly honest without some so…

I was an NOC Agent for Canada then I got married. There's so much data out there, nothing is easy with creating a false persona. Your eyes, walk, fingerprints, etc.

It's possible in the short run, but you're leaking a lot of data doing it. My MO when I really didn't want to end up Googleable was to just give my real first name and leave it at that even if people pressed.

Edit: The reason is simple. If someone gives a false name and you know their real one then you're much more certain that they're trying to conceal their identity. So the downside is real, even if it is practical in some circumstances.

Re: Want anonymity? Make a persona not a mystery

#77

Post by O__________O »

mym1990 wrote: post #72
O__________O wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yep, like I said, I have very healthy expectations of how to maintain anonymity. Fortunately GPT will largely fix the issue of statistical analysis of variations in writing style between one writer and another. Stylometry been around a long time, as with all security, you have to know you threat model, and adjust accordingly. To my knowledge stylometry never made me less anonymous.

Can you give insight into how that top 10 chart demonstrates anonymity?

Sure, feel free to point out how it makes me less anonymous.

Re: Want anonymity? Make a persona not a mystery

#78

Post by JohnFen »

ghaff wrote: post #24
onetimeusename wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What about signing in to apps which often uses a phone # and email? Also, betting on Tor is like betting there there are no 0-day exploits in browsers or Tor's network. Not a bet I would make.

It all depends on your threat model at the end of the day. I could create a blog and social media accounts in a few hours and, unless I do something stupid, it's going to be pretty hard for Joe Random on the Internet to figure out who I am. But if I start writing things that catch the attention of the FBI? They'll figure things out quick enough.

This. If you're trying to hide from governments, that's Next Level stuff. You have to be prepared to actually live underground, which involves sacrifices most people aren't willing to make.

Re: Want anonymity? Make a persona not a mystery

#79

Post by splitstud »

geph2021 wrote: post #66
chaboud wrote: post #19

Ah yes... I'm Skimmington Harborough, Esq., I come from a family that made its fortune in philanthropy generations ago. This seems like a pretty straightforward mechanism for covert operatives, to generate a believable (and memorizable) cover that pulls attention away and maintains coherence. That said, as someone who prizes ethical behavior, it's not possible to practice this and remain wholly honest without some so…

made its fortune in philanthropy Already sounds dubious to me. Don't you need a fortune before you go into philanthropy? Making a fortune in philanthropy sounds like embezzlement.

Hence the name Skimmington

Re: Want anonymity? Make a persona not a mystery

#80

Post by JohnFen »

moffkalast wrote: post #48
zerodensity wrote: post #38

Liked the write-up was a fun read. But I really don't get the point of being anonymous on social media.

> Create a believable persona This is also a lot harder than it seems, once you start lying it's easy to slip up or provide details that are aren't self consistent. As long as you rely on people just accepting the answer and being immediately satisfied with that it'll work. Inb4 "oh hey I'm also from , remember that one thing?".

The key is to avoid lying. Don't try to make up things that aren't true, just emphasize and deemphasize different aspects of your true self. That's plenty enough the majority of the time.
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