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Law, norms, piracy and online anonymity: Practices of de‐identification in the global file sharing community

Stefan Larsson (Department of Sociology of Law, Lund University (Internet Institute), Lund, Sweden)
Måns Svensson (Department of Sociology of Law, Lund University (Internet Institute), Lund, Sweden)
Marcin de Kaminski (Department of Sociology of Law, Lund University (Internet Institute), Lund, Sweden)
Kari Rönkkö (School of Computing, Blekinge Institute of Technology, Karlskrona, Sweden)
Johanna Alkan Olsson (Department of Sociology of Law, Lund University (Internet Institute), Lund, Sweden)

Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing

ISSN: 2040-7122

Article publication date: 12 October 2012

2102

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to understand more of online anonymity in the global file sharing community in the context of social norms and copyright law. The study describes the respondents in terms of use of VPN or similar service related to age, gender, geographical location, as well as analysing the correlation with file sharing frequencies.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is to a large extent descriptively collecting data through a web‐based survey. This was carried out in collaboration with the BitTorrent tracker The Pirate Bay (TPB), allowing the authors to link the survey from the main logo of their site. In 72 hours the authors received over 75,000 responses, which gives the opportunity to compare use of anonymity services with factors of age, geographical region, file sharing frequency, etc.

Findings

Overall, 17.8 per cent of the respondents use a VPN or similar service (free or paid). A core of high frequency uploaders is more inclined to use VPN or similar services than the average file sharer. Online anonymity practices in the file sharing community are depending on how legal and social norms correlate (more enforcement means more anonymity).

Research limitations/implications

The web‐based survey was in English and mainly attracted visitors on The Pirate Bays' web page. This means that it is likely that those who do not have the language skills necessary were excluded from the survey.

Practical implications

This study adds to the knowledge of anonymity practices online in terms of traceability and identification. This means that it shows some of the conditions for legal enforcement in a digital environment.

Social implications

This study adds to the knowledge of how the Internet is changing in terms of a polarization between stronger means of legally enforced identification and a growing awareness of how to be more untraceable.

Originality/value

The scale of the survey, with over 75,000 respondents from most parts of the world, has likely not been seen before on this topic. The descriptive study of anonymity practices in the global file sharing community is therefore likely unique.

Keywords

Citation

Larsson, S., Svensson, M., de Kaminski, M., Rönkkö, K. and Alkan Olsson, J. (2012), "Law, norms, piracy and online anonymity: Practices of de‐identification in the global file sharing community", Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, Vol. 6 No. 4, pp. 260-280. https://doi.org/10.1108/17505931211282391

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2012, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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