Anonymous Defamation

In the article “Douse the Online Flamers” by Andrew Keen, the author tries to display the onset of being unable to remain anonymous online and intertwines it with how bullying has been tearing its way through American society. The author supports these claims by using very public cases about how cyberbullying has caused severe emotional damage in some people’s lives. He also delves into how remaining anonymous is close to impossible when using the internet this day in age, and if online bullying is being accessed, it should be punishable by law. Keens biggest argument here seems to be the idea that he wants legislation that would make the online bullies responsible for their actions, should an event occur that they were obviously a part of.

Keen is quick to show that “anonymous defamation” (pg2) is the new face of bullying and something that shouldn’t go unpunished. After introducing two people who were affected by anonymous bullying, one committed suicide while the other had to aggressively pursue a lawsuit against her bullies, the reader is clearly able to see Keen’s anger in the subject. Unfortunately, he goes on to tell the reader how the law does not treat online anonymity, meaning websites, the same as they would if it were actually published. Questionable laws have been overlooked as not having enough pull to actually be able to convict someone of anything, as they are just words, and the people affected don’t have anything to build a case against them. Keen is clearly trying to fight for the side of the anonymous bullying to become punishable by law, and at the end of his article, he makes a strong statement, advising that “introducing more legislation to punish anonymous sadists whose online lies are intended to wreck the reputations and mental health of innocent Americans.” (pg2) Which doesn’t seem like an unreasonable request at all.

Work Cited

Keen, Andrew. "Douse the Online Flamers." Los Angeles Times 1 Mar. 2008: 2. LATimes.com. Web. 30 Oct. 2013.