Accountable Anonymity

What is *Accountable Anonymity?*

Think about your car’s license plate. It makes you accountable for what
happens on public roadways, but no one gets to know the identity of the
driver or owner.

Why can’t we have a web identity that works like your car’s license plate?
That would deliver accountability and accountability at the same time.
Accountable anonymity – Isn’t that what we all want?

Now I know you may be thinking that a license plate implies centralized
registry, i.e. centralized authority. And yes, centralized authority can be
an invitation to abuse of power.

At the same time, someone that the community trusts must attest to the
validity of claimed identities. That means governance. The prominent
decentralization advocate Lawrence Lundy-Bryan notes that "There is no such
thing as decentralized governance."

*Everyone wants privacy for themselves, and everyone wants accountability
from people they encounter online*