如何获取微信匿名毁誉者的真实身份

                                 

 

据中国最大社交网络和在线娱乐公司腾讯称，微信，该公司推出的这一在线聊天、通话和社交媒体王牌，其全球用户数量已经超过10亿。在加拿大，这一应用软件尤其受到亚裔社区的青睐。

 

According to Tencent, China’s biggest social network and online entertainment company, WeChat -- its flagship live chat, calling and social media application is used by over a billion people worldwide. In Canada, the app is particularly popular within Asian communities. 

 

 

除其他功能外，这款应用还允许用户建立或加入群聊，用户可以在这个半私密空间中进行交谈或向全组发布信息。但是和其他社交媒体、微博网站以及类似应用软件一样，热衷于匿名散布谣言和虚假信息，甚至对其他群员进行恶意诽谤的用户也开始日益充斥微信群。安省法院最近作出的裁决已经确认，在微博上发布的诽谤性言论，即便相关贴文已被删除，也仍可视为“已发布内容”，并构成确定诽谤罪名的必要证据。

Among other features, the app permits its users to set-up or join a group chat where users can have semi-private conversations or broadcast messages to the group. Like other social media and microblogging sites and applications, WeChat has become littered with users who hide behind their aliases and post rumours, false stories and even defamatory statements about other people on the application. Recent Ontario court decisions have confirmed that posting a defamatory statement on a micro-blog, even if subsequently deleted can be seen as “publishing”, a necessary component to establishing defamation. 

 

但是问题的关键在于，由于大部分毁誉者都是匿名行事（只使用网名），遭到诽谤的用户往往对此束手无策。

 

The concern is that since most defamers are anonymous (only using their usernames), it’s difficult to do anything about the defamation even if you wanted to. 

 

由于微信要求用户绑定手机号码和电邮地址用于验证，这也为获取微信匿名毁誉者的真实身份提供了有利条件。微信的服务条款概述了用户使用政策条款，明确禁止利用微信发布诽谤言论或其他令人反感的言论。服务条款还鼓励用户向微信总部报告违规用户。但是，即便用户能够说服微信删除诽谤言论，对已造成的伤害却也无法挽回。

 

WeChat requires users to insert their mobile number and e-mail address for verification purposes. Therefore, WeChat would be in a good position to identify the person behind a username who posted a defamatory statement. WeChat’s Terms of Service outlines its Acceptable Use Policy which specifically prohibits defamatory or other objectionable statements to be made using the application. The Terms also encourage users to advise WeChat of users who breach their Terms. However, even if you were able to convince WeChat to remove a defamatory statement, it does not reverse the damage that is likely already done. 

 

 

用户该如何保护自己？

So what should you do? 

 

 

认为自己被诽谤的用户应该仔细考虑自己的选择，应战成功的可能性以及对“开展反击”的承受力。但无论如何，用户至少应对匿名用户的贴文进行截图，以保留诽谤言论的证据。

 

Users who believe they have been defamed should consider their options, their likelihood of success and their tolerance for “putting up the fight”. At a minimum, you should preserve evidence of the defamatory statement – take a screenshot of the statement attributed to the username. 

 

 

如果信息来源明显不可靠，同时用户也并不认为其名誉会因此受损，那不妨考虑不理睬相关贴文，或发帖进行反驳，以及更加谨慎地选择微信群友。

If the source is clearly not credible and you do not believe that it has damaged your reputation, you may wish to consider ignoring the statement, posting a refuting statement and being more selective of your WeChat partners. 

 

 

如果用户觉得有必要进行追究，但又不知道毁誉者的真实身份，那不妨考虑将“John Doe”或“Jane Doe”诉诸法院，寻求法院命令强迫微信总部提供毁誉者的真实身份。

If this is not a sufficient solution and you cannot identify the defamer, you may wish to consider starting a law suit against a “John Doe” or “Jane Doe” and seeking a court order compelling WeChat to reveal the identity of the defamer. 

 

 

最近的法院裁决表明，如果安省法院认为诽谤行为发生在安省，并且令安省省民名誉受损，那么安省法院就与案件存在“真实和实质的联系”，从而可以行使管辖权。

 

Recent court decisions suggest that if Ontario courts believe that the defamation occurred in Ontario and affected the reputation of an Ontario person, then Ontario courts have a “real and substantial connection” to the matter at hand and, as such, can have jurisdiction over the matter.

 

但是，即便安省法院发出命令强迫微信总部提供匿名毁誉者的真实身份，原告也只能在香港通过一个十分漫长的法律程序而执行针对微信的这一法院命令。

 

However, even if a court order in Ontario is issued against WeChat to compel WeChat to reveal the identity of the anonymous defamer, the plaintiff would have to go through the process of enforcing this order against WeChat in Hong Kong which can be a lengthy process as well. 

 

除了网上匿名诽谤，在过去一年里还有许多加拿大微信用户沦为敲诈勒索、“金卡性交易”以及其他骗局的受害者。其中最引人注目的骗局就是骗子伪装成美女学生通过微信勾搭一些男学生，在双方交谈并互换照片后，骗子便会告诉男生她愿意提供收费“卖淫服务”，在男生同意后，骗子便要求对方购买礼物卡并将密码发送给自己，但在这之后，骗子要么消失得无影无踪，要么变本加厉，在一些极端案例中男生会被敲诈更多代金卡。

 

In addition to anonymous online defamation, in the past year Canadian WeChat users have been victims of blackmailing, “credit-for-sex” and other scams. Most notably, male students would be approached on WeChat by what appears to be attractive female students. After conversation and perhaps exchanging photographs, the scammer tells the male that she will offer “prostitution services” for a fee. When the male agrees, the scammer requests that the male transfer gift cards to the scammer by providing the pin numbers and then either stops communicating with the male or, in some extreme cases, blackmails the male user for additional credit.  

 

 

向匿名用户显示经查明的用户手机号码以及提出将永久禁用微信的警告或许可以遏止部分匿名用户从事此类非法且不道德的行为。但与此同时，微信以及其他社交媒体应用的用户也应该谨慎行事，明智判断，并尽量只与相识或可以确定身份的人交往。

 

Perhaps the attachment of a user’s mobile phone number and the threat of permanent banishment from the service will curb some of these anonymous users from these types of illegal and immoral activities. In the meantime, users of WeChat and other social media applications should exercise caution, good judgment and attempt to only interact with known people or people who they can identify.