Privacy and Anonymity Online

We do not guarantee your privacy or anonymity in a virtual play space.

While we take every realistic technical precaution, this is the internet. Education and Trust are by far the most reliable form of privacy at our disposal.

There is NO 100% reliable defense against recording:

  • Zoom, our current video host, is itself hackable

  • The NSA is likely recording everything that occurs online

  • A participant’s computer could be hacked and their calls recorded, meaning that even if all our participants abided by our rules, someone else could violate them

  • Any participant could point a camera at their screen

If your activities at a forLove event becoming public would mean that you would lose your job or face other severe consequences, we recommend that you not participate.

Staying safe online

1) Join from a protected network.

You should only connect to our events through an internet connection (AKA your WIFI) that is password-protected. NEVER connect via your cell phone, a public wifi network (such as a library), or a neighbor’s unlocked WIFI.

2) Ensure your computer is virus-free.

Our events are best enjoyed on a desktop, rather than a tablet or mobile. To ensure no one else can see what’s on your screen, download the FREE version of Malwarebytes for either Mac or PC and run it once.

3) Download the latest version of Zxxx directly from the website.

There are imitators on the App store and online that may install other software, or simultaneously install software that runs in the background on your computer and records your calls.

 

4) Do not call in using a phone or second computer.

For our collective security, your audio and video must come from the same source.

5) Never Share the meeting links or ID

The only people who are allowed in our events are ticketholders.

6) Create your own account on Zxxx

and sign in before joining an event.

Anonymity

To prevent underage participants, forLove is required by Federal law to collect and securely store your legal name and email address. In order to create a safe space and foster accountability, we will always know who everyone is.

Aliases

You are welcome to participate in our virtual events under an alias so that you remain anonymous to attendees.

Participants and hosts will address you by your alias, or whatever name appears under your image.

When you buy your ticket, you will register with "[alias] + [government-issued ID name]”.

You can change your screen name to your alias in each room you’re in. We recommend that you do this in your account settings. 

We check the alias of the people in our rooms against our attendee list, both when they arrive and throughout the event. This helps us prevent anonymous people from misbehaving under different identities.

You CANNOT change your alias during the event.

Masks

We do not allow masks at our virtual events. This level of anonymity is dangerous to participants, as it diminishes the shared trust and vulnerability that is critical to this medium. This includes using SnapCamera lenses that obscure your face. If you want to obscure your identity in other ways, here are some options, all of which are acceptable:

  • Use creative facepaint

  • Wear a wig or costume

  • Cover identifying tattoos

  • Only show your face or body, but not both at the same time. Note: to foster a shared environment, a host may require you to show your face periodically. 

We are researching anonymization software and other custom solutions, but even if we implement them, someone who knows you personally could still recognize you, even by your video background.