Lauren Weinstein's Blog Update: Massive New UK Internet Wiretapping Plan Announced

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: lauren () vortex com
> Date: December 4, 2009 9:30:36 PM EST
> To: lauren-blog-notify () vortex com
> Subject: Lauren Weinstein's Blog Update: Massive New UK Internet  
> Wiretapping Plan Announced

> Lauren Weinstein's Blog Update: Massive New UK Internet Wiretapping  
> Plan Announced
>
>                           December 04, 2009
>
>
> --- 
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>
> http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000646.html
>
>
>
> --- 
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>
> Greetings.  Remember the <a
> href="http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000375.html";>controversy over
> the UK's <i>Phorm</i></a> "ISPs Spy on Users" Internet ad system?
>
> 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  
> <a
> href="http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/ 
> 0,1000000189,39906062,00.htm">sp
> y on the data content of Internet users</a> -- using law enforcement
> grade equipment -- in search of illegal file sharing.
>
> 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
> <b>any</b> 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
> of the 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 <b>private</b> 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: <b>encrypt</b>!  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--
>
>
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