atturd2 got doxxed by the Daily Dot. If you’re not on Twitter that won’t mean much, but leftist media is coming for the anons, and as they do, voices on the right, too, declaring that anonymous speech has no place in American discourse. Anonymous speech, however, has a long history in American political discourse, and as the platforms for speech expand, and more citizens are able to make use of those platforms to express their views, the protection of anonymous speech is even more important in America for Americans.

The 1995 Supreme Court ruling in McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Commission protects anonymous speech outright, saying:

“Anonymity is a shield from the tyranny of the majority…It thus exemplifies the purpose behind the Bill of Rights and of the First Amendment in particular: to protect unpopular individuals from retaliation… at the hand of an intolerant society.”

In today’s online world, that perspective could not be more essential. Anyone can speak out on Twitter. Anyone can pick an avatar and share viewpoints, memes, incendiary ideas. But not everyone wants their online persona, their political perspectives, and the potential backlash to those to impact their daily life. We have seen how one online “misstep” has ruined lives. Relationships, employment, social standing are all at risk when a user posts, say, pro-Trump content on Twitter, or biologically-based anti-gender ideology views, or that they don’t want their kids to be subjected to porn in schools.