Legal Definitions - anonymous

Anonymous describes a situation where the identity of an individual, author, or source of information is not revealed or cannot be determined. This means the person or entity remains unnamed and unidentified.

Here are some examples illustrating the term:

• Imagine a large corporation where an employee discovers serious financial misconduct. Fearing retaliation, the employee submits a detailed report to the company's ethics committee but explicitly requests that their name be withheld from all records and investigations. In this scenario, the employee is acting as an anonymouswhistleblower.

  This illustrates "anonymous" because the employee's identity is kept secret, ensuring they are not named or identified in connection with the report, thereby protecting them from potential negative consequences.

• Consider a wealthy individual who donates a significant sum of money to a local hospital for a new wing, but specifically asks that their name not be publicly disclosed or associated with the gift. The hospital respects this wish and simply announces that the new wing was made possible by an unnamed benefactor.

  This demonstrates "anonymous" because the donor's identity is intentionally withheld from the public, meaning the source of the donation is not named or identified.

• Think about an online forum or social media platform where users can create accounts using pseudonyms or usernames that do not reveal their real names. A user might post a comment or share an opinion under a username like "TechGuru22" without ever linking it to their actual identity.

  This exemplifies "anonymous" because the user's true identity is not disclosed or connected to their online activity, allowing them to participate without being personally named or identified.