badbadmonkey - 4:27 am on Jun 1, 2011 (gmt 0)

Many web veterans are accustomed to general anonymity being available, forums and chatrooms have always used nicknames

Even in the US you only have a veneer of anonymity, unless you're making things really difficult and tunneling your traffic through several different countries via a VPN.

If you libel me, wherever you are, I can ask a US court to subpoena WebmasterWorld for what details they have on you - your IP at least, which if an ISP address will then allow me to sub-poena your ISP in your country for your identity. Even if you are using a VPN, those respectable ones based in the US or Europe are similarly subject to the law.

Those people should now consider that Twitter itself will not oppose an application to reveal their personal details.

The issue is not about Twitter. It was sub-poena'ed. It has no choice. It apparently contacted the subject and asked if they wanted to fight it; what more can you ask?

The good news is that the internet does not quite allow people to get away with defamation or disparagement with complete impunity - rather, like always in a just society, you should be prepared to defend anything you say as reasonable opinion or truth.