NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] Massive New UK Internet Wiretapping Plan Announced
Massive New UK Internet Wiretapping Plan Announced
http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000646.html
Greetings. Remember the controversy over the UK's "Phorm" - "ISPs Spy
on Users" Internet ad system? ( http://bit.ly/91Yvgz [Lauren
Weinstein's Blog] ).
Phorm was eventually beaten back, but it was small potatoes compared
to what the surveillance-happy folks in Jolly Old England have got up
their sleeves now.
Britain's Virgin Media ISP has announced a stunning plan to actually
spy on the data content of Internet users -- using law enforcement
grade equipment -- in search of illegal file sharing
( http://bit.ly/80maxP [ZDNet] ).
The scope of the plan is breathtaking. File sharing protocol packets
will be opened and the contents run through music fingerprinting
systems to try determine if files are licensed or not. At this stage
of the plan, any positive "hits" will be anonymous, but one can
imagine how long that aspect will remain in force. And of course, if
this sort of system can be justified to "protect" the music and film
industries, it's a small step to arguing that all traffic should be
monitored for *any* Internet content considered to be suspicious,
illicit, or inappropriate by Her Majesty's government -- it's
basically just a matter of how much communications and processing
power you're willing to throw at the task.
There is no opt-out or opt-in. All files carried by any of the three
primary file-sharing protocols are subject to inspection, with
initially about 40% of subscribers being included in the "lucky" test
group. And remember, these are *private* user-to-user Internet
connections being monitored -- not postings on public Web sites where
license fingerprinting can be reasonably justified.
What Virgin has announced is essentially the same concept as
monitoring telephone calls in hopes of overhearing something illegal
being discussed.
The question here isn't whether or not people should inappropriately
trade licensed materials -- they shouldn't. The issue is Internet
users -- including innocent, law-abiding subscribers -- being
subjected to having their data content searched by whim of their ISPs,
when such behavior would not (we assume!) be tolerated on conventional
telephone calls (but what of VoIP phone calls traversing the Internet?
A fascinating question of ever increasing importance ...)
Notably, the answer to these dilemmas is contained in a single word,
which you've seen me use many times before: *encrypt*! As far as
I'm concerned, all Internet traffic should be routinely and
pervasively encrypted, not just to protect civil rights, but to
protect economic and business security as well.
In fact, a spokesman related to the new Virgin ISP spying project
notes that, "encryption of the data packet would defeat us."
Sounds like good advice to me.
--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein
lauren@vortex.com
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
http://www.pfir.org/lauren
Co-Founder, PFIR
- People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
Co-Founder, NNSquad
- Network Neutrality Squad - http://www.nnsquad.org
Founder, GCTIP - Global Coalition
for Transparent Internet Performance - http://www.gctip.org
Founder, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurenweinstein