Anonymity Within AA

Inside meetings and groups

Members may know one another while still protecting privacy and trust

A.A. is not a secret society, and members are not required to be nameless to one another. Within A.A., anonymity works alongside discretion: personal stories, membership information, contact details, and records are handled for their intended A.A. purpose rather than carried into unrelated settings.

Read The A.A. Group official group experience

IN THE MEETING

Members are present as people, not public examples

First names are common, and members may know full names, families, workplaces, or contact information. What a person shares is offered to the meeting, not automatically to the public.

IN GROUP RECORDS

Use information for its stated purpose

Telephone lists, email lists, service rosters, and attendance information can support A.A. activity. The A.A. Group describes voluntary lists intended for group use, not general circulation.

OUTSIDE THE ROOM

Let each member own the disclosure

Seeing someone at a meeting does not authorize identifying that person to family, coworkers, the public, or online. Even a well-meant story can reveal someone else’s membership.

Names

A.A.’s public-level practice uses first names and last initials. Within a group, members may choose to use last names; local custom is not the same as a universal prohibition.

Telephone and email lists

Participation should be voluntary, access should match the purpose, and the list should not become a source for promotion, unrelated contact, or public identification.

Meeting shares

Listening without repeating another person’s story helps create trust. A.A. members understand that personal disclosures made in meetings are to be treated as confidential, but a group cannot guarantee what every attendee will later say.

Visitors and open meetings

Nonmembers may attend open meetings. A clear anonymity statement helps everyone understand that names and personal disclosures should not be carried outside.

Photos and recordings

Consent, purpose, storage, and eventual audience matter. If a recording or image will be public, public-level anonymity guidance applies.

Service work

Members may need names and contact information to carry out responsibilities. Access should follow the service need rather than personal curiosity or status.