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Pseudonymity, a word derived from pseudonym, meaning 'false name', is a state of disguised identity. The pseudonym identifies a ''holder'', that is, one or more human beings who possess but do not disclose their true names (that is, legal identities).〔May, Timothy C. (1991). (The Crypto Anarchist Manifesto ).〕 Most pseudonym holders use pseudonyms because they wish to remain anonymous, but anonymity is difficult to achieve, and is often fraught with legal issues.〔du Pont, George F. (2001) (The Criminalization of True Anonymity in Cyberspace ) 7 Mich. Telecomm. Tech. L. Rev.〕 True anonymity requires unlinkability, such that an attacker's examination of the pseudonym holder's message provides no new information about the holder's true name.〔Post, David G. (1996). (Pooling Intellectual Capital: Thoughts on Anonymity, Pseudoanonymity, and Limited Liability in Cyberspace ). ''University of Chicago Legal Forum.''〕 ==Examples== Although the term is most frequently used today with regard to identity and the Internet, the concept of pseudonymity has a long history. In ancient literature it was common to write in the name of a famous person, not for concealment or with any intention of deceit; in the New Testament, the second letter of Peter is probably such. A more modern example is all of ''The Federalist'' Papers, which were signed by Publius, a pseudonym representing the trio of James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay. The papers were written partially in response to several Anti-Federalist Papers, also written under pseudonyms. As a result of this pseudonymity, historians know that the papers were written by Madison, Hamilton, and Jay, but have not been able to discern with complete accuracy which of the three authored a few of the papers. Pseudonymity has become an important phenomenon on the Internet and other computer networks. In computer networks, pseudonyms possess varying degrees of anonymity,〔Froomkin, A. Michael (1995). ("Anonymity and Its Enemies (Article 4) )". ''Journal of Online Law.''〕 ranging from highly linkable ''public pseudonyms'' (the link between the pseudonym and a human being is publicly known or easy to discover), potentially linkable ''non-public pseudonyms'' (the link is known to system operators but is not publicly disclosed), and ''unlinkable pseudonyms'' (the link is not known to system operators and cannot be determined).〔Pfitzmann, A., and M. Köhntopp (2000). "(Anonymity, Unobservability, and Pseudonymity: A Proposal for Terminology )". In H. Federrath (ed.), ''Anonymity'' (Berlin: Springer-Verlag), pp. 1-9.〕 For example, true anonymous remailer enables Internet users to establish unlinkable pseudonyms; those that employ non-public pseudonyms (such as the now-defunct Penet remailer) are called pseudonymous remailers. The continuum of unlinkability can also be seen, in part, on Wikipedia. Some registered users make no attempt to disguise their real identities (for example, by placing their real name on their user page). The pseudonym of unregistered users is their IP address, which can, in many cases, easily be linked to them. Other registered users prefer to remain anonymous, and do not disclose identifying information. However, Wikipedia's server logs may enable system administrators to determine the IP address, and perhaps the true name, of a registered user (see for a list of the conditions under which such a linkage would be attempted). It is possible, in theory, to create an unlinkable Wikipedia pseudonym by using an Open proxy, a Web server that disguises the user's IP address. However, most open proxy addresses are blocked indefinitely due to their frequent use by vandals (see ). Additionally, Wikipedia's public record of a user's interest areas, writing style, and argumentative positions may still establish an identifiable pattern.〔Rao, J.R., and P. Rohatgi (2000). ("Can Pseudonyms Really Guarantee Privacy?" ) Proceedings of the 9th USENIX Security Symposium (Denver, Colorado, Aug. 14-17, 2000).〕 〔 〕 System operators (sysops) at sites offering pseudonymity, such as Wikipedia, are not likely to build unlinkability into their systems, as this would render them unable to obtain information about abusive users quickly enough to stop vandalism and other undesirable behaviors. Law enforcement personnel, fearing an avalanche of illegal behavior are equally unenthusiastic.〔Clarke, Roger (1998). ("Technological Aspects of Internet Crime Prevention." ) Paper presented at the Australian Institute for Criminology's Conference on Internet Crime (February 16–17, 1998).〕 Still, some users and privacy activists like the American Civil Liberties Union believe that Internet users deserve stronger pseudonymity so that they can protect themselves against identity theft, illegal government surveillance, stalking, and other unwelcome consequences of Internet use (including unintentional disclosures of their personal information, as discussed in the next section). Their views are supported by laws in some nations (such as Canada) that guarantee citizens a right to speak using a pseudonym.() This right does not, however, give citizens the right to demand publication of pseudonymous speech on equipment they do not own. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Pseudonymity」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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