I believe non-public figures often receive more protection under defamation and related laws than public figures. 'False light' claims may be covered under privacy law.
http://www.dba-oracle.com/internet_laws_false_light_privacy_defamation.htm
It is not uncommon that if making negative statements about a non-public figure, truth may not be a defence. It may also be necessary, for example, to prove that the matter was of public concern.
Some of us *do* have rather unique names, such that if people who knew us saw our names on the internet (e.g. a potential employer), they could reasonably assume we were the ones referred to.
On 26/09/2007, Thomas Dalton thomas.dalton@gmail.com wrote:
The public is only going to be able to identify someone by their name alone if they are a public figure. If someone registers with the name of a public figure as their username they are blocked until they can prove they are who they say they are. I'm not sure what kind of message is put on their user pages, but if it's something that wouldn't look good on a Google search, I'm sure it can be changed. There is a slight risk that a minor public figure might not be recognised by anyone checking usernames, but the more minor the public figure, the less liable we would be, so I don't think there is a serious risk.