If Germany’s especially-litigious Pirate Party has its way, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) will soon be forced to rule on whether anonymity is a human right - or, more specifically, part of the right to private life enshrined under the European Convention on Human Rights.

Reuters reports:

“This latest suit follows a February ruling by Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court that it was constitutional for telecommunication providers to demand personal data to set up accounts.

Some European Union countries such as Germany, Denmark, and France, have outlawed anonymous pre-paid cards to prevent their use in criminal activities, but the Pirate Party says that stifles a citizen’s right to privacy and free speech.”