[ NNSquad ] Re: Civil Rights Groups Wants P2P Throttling to Preserve Rights (or something like that)

[Brett Glass <nnsquad@brettglass.com>]

At 12:59 PM 3/7/2008, Vint Cerf wrote:
 
>the issue is whether I am using Brett's email services or not, as I  
>see it. He is right to resist abuse of email relays. He is also right  
>to limit total consumption. but I am not comfortable with the idea  
>that he could inspect my packet content and decide on the basis of  
>protocol or content what I can send.

Vint:

I find this highly ironic. As we are all aware, Google not only
inspects the contents of GMail users' highly personal e-mail but
uses them to target advertising at them. Certainly, this is far more
egregious than simply monitoring (and no more than we need to!) to
stop abuse.

--Brett Glass

  [ Google makes it very clear how Gmail scanning and related
    targeted ads function.  If users choose to use the service after
    being so informed, that's up to them.  Gmail is simply one
    e-mail service -- users can choose from a plethora of other
    Web-based e-mail providers if they wish.

    This is far different than actions instituted by ISPs in the
    minimally competitive U.S. ISP market.  Those access ISP actions
    can affect what subscribers do with *any* service that they might
    choose, and ISP alternatives for most people here are very limited.

    "Egregious" describes the British ISPs' plans (via "Phorm") to
    lift and monetize keywords from the search activities of users
    at unaffiliated search sites -- unless this is done on a
    completely and fully-informed opt-in basis.

      -- Lauren Weinstein
         NNSquad Moderator ]