Privacy vs Anonymity

[ataraxiaceleste]

I see many projects coming out there "claiming" to be private. "Claiming" to be anonymous. In the year of regulation. What do you think is more important? Privacy? Or anonymity? Can they both exist? Especially with increasing government and regulatory scrutiny?

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[BADecker]

If they were anonymous, do you think you would know that they existed? Perhaps anonymity really means, "We are here, but you can't know anything about us." Wait. Isn't that what privacy is.

In other words, we don't know if there are any secrets or not. As soon as they become known, they aren't secrets any longer. If they remain secret, we don't know that they exist, right?

[Kong Hey Pakboy]

If they were anonymous, do you think you would know that they existed? Perhaps anonymity really means, "We are here, but you can't know anything about us." Wait. Isn't that what privacy is.

In other words, we don't know if there are any secrets or not. As soon as they become known, they aren't secrets any longer. If they remain secret, we don't know that they exist, right?

You have a point. You can't really say if things are anonymous, if you know that they exist. But if you don't know their real information and only knows what they are, you can say they are still anonymous. From my point of view, projects does not claim they are anonymous because how people would know about them and how investors will get interested in their project if they stay hidden or private.

[boyptc]

They both exist. 

And both important depends to your intention.

Relates to the government, how many countries have the freedom of information. Things and deals that are not even publicly announced?

[cryptoperkele]

I see many projects coming out there "claiming" to be private. "Claiming" to be anonymous. In the year of regulation. What do you think is more important? Privacy? Or anonymity? Can they both exist? Especially with increasing government and regulatory scrutiny?

Anonymity will always be a problematic when it comes to AML laws, unlike privacy that's actually wanted by regulators to some extent. For example open blockchain is problematic to big institutional players as everyone can track everything they do. Privacy is important to banks etc while anonymity is not accepted.

[ataraxiaceleste]

I see many projects coming out there "claiming" to be private. "Claiming" to be anonymous. In the year of regulation. What do you think is more important? Privacy? Or anonymity? Can they both exist? Especially with increasing government and regulatory scrutiny?

Anonymity will always be a problematic when it comes to AML laws, unlike privacy that's actually wanted by regulators to some extent. For example open blockchain is problematic to big institutional players as everyone can track everything they do. Privacy is important to banks etc while anonymity is not accepted.

Nice inference. I think Privacy and Anonymity are both interlinked and mixed up, while they both can independently exist.

[bits4books]

If you want recognition and access to mass market - then privacy is enough. If you want to leave the entire cryptocurrency as entertainment for geeks and those interested, then take anonymity. The second implies the first, but the first does not imply the second.

[20kevin20]

Both are just as important.

Privacy is a very helpful thing to have when you register on a website or disclose with someone your personal details but want the  information to never be exchanged with someone else. In other words, you could call that privacy for the party you're willingly exchanging personal info with and anonymity for all the other parties as they should have no idea who you are. Recently, privacy has been on shrinking mode as a lot of companies nowadays sell customer data.

Anonymity is when you basically want to do something without anyone ever knowing who or what you are. You could be a bot, a human, an alien or a dog - the thing is, all someone knows is probably your alias they can't link almost anything to. Think of Satoshi.

Privacy can go without anonymity, but vice-versa it cannot happen. You can't have anonymity without privacy.

[Questat]

Maybe privacy because it's hard to be anonymous especially when transacting money online, government doesn't want that.
As you look at the market now, crypto has been improving as adoption has increase but with that, the government are also eyeing on the regulation so we will never get that anonymity. I'm just being realistic here, what we can only get at best is privacy, that if those institution that we trust our information will make sure they will keep our data privately.

[madnessteat]

Anonymity and privacy are more the responsibility of the individual than the project. No matter how private the project is, a person can foolishly link his or her address to an individual.

[Subbir]

Privacy is more important at work Everyone wants to stay their privacy anonymous especially when performing on crypto Crypto has not been legalized in many countries because it is operated illegally so nobody performing on crypto reveals their true identities. Everyone keeps their personal information secret Projects use fake names in order that nobody can easily identify them.

[KiloFoxtrot]

Isn't that privacy is on a need to know basis only? And anonymity basically wants no party to divulge their real identities.

[coolcoinz]

The way I understand it, you can protect your privacy at all times. For instance, when you're at work and decide not to share any life details with your colleagues, you're protecting your privacy, but you are not anonymous, since they know what your name is and how you look like.
Anonymity is complete. Staying anonymous is not revealing anything, including your name. We don't need anonymity as much as we need privacy.

[Alt Coiner]

When it comes to catching and preventing AML, anonymity is a basic problem. But when it comes to KYC, the security of our privacy is what we're basically concern with.

[ataraxiaceleste]

Anonymity and privacy are more the responsibility of the individual than the project. No matter how private the project is, a person can foolishly link his or her address to an individual.

I think privacy should be a universal right for all beings, more than it being individual responsibility. Sometimes, lack of awareness can be a huge issue in different parts of the world.

[ataraxiaceleste]

I see many projects coming out there "claiming" to be private. "Claiming" to be anonymous. In the year of regulation. What do you think is more important? Privacy? Or anonymity? Can they both exist? Especially with increasing government and regulatory scrutiny?

Anonymity will always be a problematic when it comes to AML laws, unlike privacy that's actually wanted by regulators to some extent. For example open blockchain is problematic to big institutional players as everyone can track everything they do. Privacy is important to banks etc while anonymity is not accepted.

I see lots of developments lately with respect to permission less blockchain but privacy is largely disregarded. I have stumbled upon an interesting project that strives to preserve both privacy as well as permissiveness.