Larsson läser

Janerik Larsson

Janerik Larsson

Anne Applebaum tar idag i sin Washington Post-krönika upp en svårt men intressant ämne: ska det få förekomma anonyma kommentarer på nätet ?

Hon konkluderar:

Sooner or later, we may also be forced to end Internet anonymity or to at least ensure that every online persona is linked back to a real person: Anyone who writes online should be as responsible for his words as if he were speaking them aloud. I know there are arguments in favor of anonymity, but too many people now abuse the privilege. Human rights, including the right to freedom of expression, should belong to real human beings and not to anonymous trolls.

Hennes argument:

A friend who worked for a public relations company in Europe tells of companies that hire people to post, anonymously, positive words on behalf of their clients and negative words about rivals. Political parties of various kinds, in various countries, are rumored to do the same.States have grown interested in joining the fray as well.

The Russian trolls have been well-documented. But others may be preparing to join them. An Iranian educational group, Tavaana, has lately found its Facebook page blocked thanks to what it suspects was the activity of Iranian trolls. Famously, the Chinese government monitors the Internet inside China, using hundreds of thousands of paid bloggers. It can’t be long before they work out how to do the same in English, or Korean, or other languages as well.

For democracies, this is a serious challenge. Online commentary subtly shapes what voters think and feel, even if it just raises the level of irritation, or gives readers the impression that certain views are “controversial,” or makes them wonder what the “mainstream” version of events is concealing.

I all anspråkslöshet: jag läser inte kommentarer till det jag skriver men däremot läser jag och besvarar alla mejl som skickas till min mejladress. De som bara meddelar att jag är en idiot för att jag inte gillar SD förblir dock obesvarade.

Jag läser inte heller kommentarutrymmena på någon sajt.

 

 

Applebaum

Om gästbloggen

Janerik Larsson är gästbloggare hos SvD Ledare. Han är skribent, författare och journalist, verksam i Stiftelsen Fritt Näringsliv och pr-byrån Prime. Bloggar om svensk politik och har en internationell utblick mot främst brittiska och amerikanska medier.
Åsikter är hans egna.
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