A Jehovah’s Witness whose online postings were intended to stir debate about the religion’s practices fears that he, or she, would be excommunicated and shunned by friends and family members if named publicly.

A federal magistrate in San Francisco has ruled that the self-identified Darkspilver can remain anonymous, except for identification to lawyers for the religion’s Watchtower publication, which says the posting violated its copyright.

“The First Amendment protects the right to anonymous speech,” U.S. Magistrate Sallie Kim said Friday. Although that right is not unlimited, she said, “Darkspilver has demonstrated significant harm if his identity were revealed publicly or even if it were revealed to Jehovah’s Witnesses in his congregation.”

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Jehovah-s-Witness-who-posted-criticisms-on-13855357.php