Internet: Chat Rooms

Security, Lying, and Deception in Chat Rooms

People are typically required to register to join a chat room. However, some chat rooms may be exclusive and involve various levels of clearance. Some may require a mere sign-up with a nickname, e-mail, and password while others may require extensive verification of the person's identity. In both synchronous and asynchronous environments, the rules of conduct are typically posted, and acknowledgment of agreement with these rules is required as part of registration. These rules are intended to promote civility in the appropriate cultural norms of the virtual environment as well as provide a sense of security for users.

Regardless of the level of purported security, people may mistakenly view their chat room experience as secure. The metaphor of a “room” used in the term chat room may bolster this mistaken sense of security. “Room” implies a misleading sense of privacy within an enclosed space away from the world outside; participants may feel secure because, while in a chat room, they are physically in an area of their choosing, often their own living space. Without the physical presence of others, there is a sense of anonymity afforded to online environments that produces a false sense of security. In addition, users are able to use monikers and avatars to hide their real identities. Therefore, despite the illusion of security, chat rooms provide significant opportunity for deception and lying.

Discussion boards provide one such opportunity; the lurking aspect arises easily from the metaphor of “board” (i.e., blackboard). This idea suggests to the user that they can view posted information at their convenience. In contrast, synchronous, real-time chat rooms may be more conducive to lying and deception. Synchronous environments provide a voyeur-like opportunity for lurkers to read conversations without being visibly present to the others in the room.

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