She said that she and others had been wearing the masks, not only to protect their identity but also because it has become a symbol of the movement against corporate greed.

BBC: V for Vendetta masks: Who's behind them?

"This is the only way that they could be in control of their Internet identity and deal directly with the registry, " he says.

CNN: Is domain name system vulnerable to slamming?

"In the real world there are countless circumstances where we only know a person by their pseudonym or by their public identity, " he said.

WSJ: The Debate Over Online Anonymity

"She not only hid his identity, but also hid the fact Bulger had filled their apartment with weapons, enabling Bulger to avoid capture by violence if necessary, " prosecutors said in a sentencing memo.

CNN: Girlfriend gets 8 years for hiding 'Whitey' Bulger

The idea of this framework is to not only establish a digital identity, but also to provide individuals control over ownership and sharing of their data on the internet.

FORBES: Trust On The Internet: The Solution Is Ahead