A user account where the user’s real identity is unknown or not displayed.
See also: Real-Name Policy, Pseudonymity
Commentary:
- Can apply in relation to one or multiple other actors, such as an online service where a user’s real identity is unknown to other users and nonuser third parties, but known by the service provider and not displayed, in contrast to a user whose identity is also unknown to the service provider.
- Some services do not allow anonymity and follow a real-name policy under which a user’s name must match an official government identification.
- Anonymity is different from pseudonymity, in which someone consistently uses a fictitious name to build a reputation around their identity and the actions that they perform under it.