Anonymity and software agents: An interdisciplinary challenge

Authors: Brazier, Frances¹; Oskamp, Anja²; Prins, Corien³; Schellekens, Maurice⁴; Wijngaards, Niek⁵

Source: Artificial Intelligence and Law, Volume 12, Numbers 1-2, March 2004 , pp. 137-157(21)

Publisher: Springer

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Abstract:

Software agents that play a role in E-commerce and E-government applications involving the Internet often contain information about the identity of their human user such as credit cards and bank accounts. This paper discusses whether this is necessary: whether human users and software agents are allowed to be anonymous under the relevant legal regimes and whether an adequate interaction and balance between law and anonymity can be realised from both the perspective of Computer Systems and the perspective of Law.

Keywords: software agents; privacy; anonymity; pseudoanonymity; security; legal aspects; agent identity

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10506-004-6488-5

Affiliations: 1: Intelligent Interactive Distributed Systems, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1081a, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Email: fmt.brazier@few.vu.nl 2: Computer and Law Institute, Faculty of Law, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Email: a.oskamp@rechten.vu.nl 3: TILT, Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology and Society, Faculty of Law, Tilburg University, P.O. Box 90153, 5000 LE, Tilburg, The Netherlands, Email: j.e.j.prins@uvt.nl 4: TILT, Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology and Society, Faculty of Law, Tilburg University, P.O. Box 90153, 5000 LE, Tilburg, The Netherlands, Email: m.h.m.schellekens@uvt.nl 5: Intelligent Interactive Distributed Systems, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1081a, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Email: nje.wijngaards@few.vu.nl

Publication date: 2004-03-01