Anonymity means that nobody knows your real identity (on the Internet). Untracea

Question

Anonymity means that nobody knows your real identity (on the Internet).

Untraceability means that nobody is able to trace back your actions to you.

It appears to me that Anonymity and Untraceability is the same thing: if nobody knows my real identity on the Internet, how are other users going to trace my action to me? Similarly, if no one can trace my actions to me, I am considered to be anonymous.

I am unsure if my line of argument is correct and how to define the relationship between Anonymity and Untraceability.

What is the relationship between Anonymity and Untraceability, and how are they different?

Explanation / Answer

The two notions are actually different. Anonymous systems usually are untraceable as a side effect but the reverse isn't true.

Consider, for instance, voting. The process is usually not anonymous: you have to prove you identity and rights to vote before you can do so and the system will keep track of how many votes you have cast. But it can also be untraceable (as an additional property) in the sense that nobody could find out what you actually voted for.

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