The Power of Anonymity

I first began writing this Power, Practice, and Peace series as a separate blog under a pseudonym back in late 2020. Certainly, concerns about putting myself “out there” in a potentially political way were on my mind even at the time. However, the overwhelming reason for me writing anonymously was that I didn’t want this material to detract or distract from the publication of my first book, That Which We Already Know.

Since that time, I’ve taken that pseudonymously written blog offline and republished almost all of it here under my real name. Yes, this is my real name!  The experience of being anonymous was rather interesting, though. It provided me some insight into our current political climate, as you will see.

The author's erstwhile alter ego

Writing under an assumed name gives an author the freedom to adopt a different style or voice, to write in a different genre, to display an entirely different point of view, etc. One can take risks under an assumed name so that the public’s reception to one’s pseudonymous writing does not adversely impact one’s “real” readership or reputation.

At other times, however, anonymity is a way to protect one’s livelihood and physical and mental wellbeing in the only way possible. Think of the whistleblowers who provide information about wrongdoings taking place. Think about the workers in government agencies who are trying to keep the public abreast of what’s happening under this current administration. Think of the anonymous sources cited in news stories that allow us to know what’s really going on in OUR government.

Yes, anonymity can be of benefit to us all. It can positively benefit society by fostering truth-telling and accountability. But anonymity has a dark side as well. Many of us see it every day when we get on social media. There’s no shortage of anonymous authors online. Oftentimes we simply call them trolls! Anonymity can allow people to be as mean and nasty online as their id wants to be. Anonymity can also give an author a certain mystique for nefarious purposes. Authority and inside knowledge can be feigned with impunity, as there is no way to check the author’s real credentials. Think of Q, for instance, the source of the so-called QAnon movement.

Unfortunately, anonymity can increase the chances of physical violence as well. You may recall from a social psychology class that one aspect that fuels riots is the loss of one’s individuality while remaining anonymous in a crowd. Without the help of our sense of selfhood to guide us, we may be swept up in a violent mob mentality and do things we wouldn’t normally do.

As you know, I was an ally during the Ferguson Uprising. I followed closely the Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation of the Ferguson Police Department. One of the oft-cited issues was the fact that many of the officers, contrary to department policy, were refusing to identify themselves or wear name tags. This allowed them to behave in ways they might not have otherwise had they been more easily identifiable. In fact, they continued to flout this policy even after being reminded to follow it by the DOJ. In a letter sent to the department, the DOJ stated that “the failure to wear name plates conveys a message to community members that, through anonymity, officers may seek to act with impunity.”

I think of this when I see Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents wearing masks pulled over their faces while confronting those in their sights. Whereas a whistleblower may require anonymity to protect themselves from the adverse ramifications of calling attention to the wrongdoing of others, these ICE agents are using anonymity to protect themselves from the adverse ramifications of their OWN potential wrongdoing.

Masked ICE agents

Now, some will say these are hardworking Americans doing the job they’ve been tasked with doing and that they need to protect themselves and their families from retribution. Fair enough. Immigration enforcement has become very politicized of late. The fact is, though, we don’t really know who these masked individuals are. We don’t know their level of training. We don’t know their commitment to the rule of law. Are they actual government employees, or are they deputized neo-Nazis?

We do know that what is happening now is unprecedented legally, ethically, and morally. Without due process, individuals have been sent to a foreign high-security prison. This is a fact. For expressed political opinions, people have had their legal status revoked. This is a fact. Children are being separated from their parents, and an alarmingly high number of people have died in ICE custody in recent months. These are facts. Whereas a whistleblower may need anonymity after calling out the wrongdoing of others, these ICE agents are desiring anonymity because of the potentially illegal, unethical, and immoral actions that they themselves are engaging in. This is wrong and should not be condoned in a democratic society.

Yes, there’s great power in anonymity and, as with any tool, it can be used for positive ends as well as negative ones. There may be shades of gray in here somewhere. But it’s one thing when anonymity protects someone with a pen or a voice of warning, it’s quite another when anonymity protects men with guns who are stripping people of their liberty and tearing families apart.

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This post is in the Power, Practice, and Peace series.

Find a running list of all posts in this series by clicking here.

Images

Photo of masked ICE agents via:

https://www.cato.org/blog/ice-agents-seizing-people-now-routinely-wear-masks-thats-wrong

Author's alter ego courtesy of the author

Copyright 2025 by Mark Robert Frank