The new law would be targeted at depriving "those behind hate posts of anonymity," according to The Local. 

Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said: "Unfortunately there have been an increasing number of clear violations, denigrations and humiliations online in the past under the cover of anonymity. That's why we need a framework for more responsibility online."

But isn't the anonymous denigration and humiliation of others a founding principle of the internet, and part of what makes it great?

The law, if passed, would go into effect in 2020 and would make it mandatory for users of popular social media sites to register their users. The platforms would have flexibility on how they register their users, but Austria seeks to give its authorities access to a user's identity in the event of "hate postings or on suspicion of other laws being broken".