BITAG Announces Technical Review Focused on Internet Data Collection & Privacy

["Dave Farber" <farber () gmail com>]

> BITAG Announces Technical Review Focused on Internet Data Collection and Privacy
> Report aims to shed light on data collection from and about Internet users, while highlighting technical 
> observations, and will suggest appropriate best practices
>  
> Denver, CO (September 27, 2017):  The Broadband Internet Technical Advisory Group (BITAG) is pleased to announce a 
> review focused on the technical aspects of Internet of data collection and privacy. This topic will result in a 
> report with an anticipated publication date in early 2018.
>  
> In various contexts, different organizations are studying data collection practices and privacy in the Internet 
> “ecosystem” and public discourse has suggested there is a significant gap between perceived and actual data 
> collection practices. Much of this discourse has also been focused on one set of actors or another, without a more 
> holistic consideration of the significant roles played by a broad cross-section of all those involved, ranging from 
> Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to edge providers, advertising networks, application developers, equipment 
> manufacturers, and others. Often, the discussion is not sufficiently informed by technical information regarding 
> actual practices. 
>
> BITAG’s report on Internet data collection and privacy will draw on concrete, specific technical information and aims 
> to shed light on the current state of data collection practices, including: what types of data are collected, where 
> and how collection takes place, and for what purposes the data is used (e.g., operational, service related). The 
> report will also investigate and report on how these practices vary across the broader Internet ecosystem; the report 
> will discuss the roles various parts of the Internet ecosystem play in collecting data from and about Internet users, 
> the analytic tools and methods that various stakeholders apply to the collected data, how different stakeholders use 
> the data, and more. BITAG’s technical working group will analyze this topic and issue a report that will describe the 
> issue in depth, highlight technical observations, and suggest appropriate best practices. 
>  
> The lead editors of BITAG’s report on IoT security and privacy are Jason Livingood of Comcast and Nick Feamster, 
> Professor of Computer Science at Princeton University. Douglas Sicker, Executive Director of BITAG, Chair of BITAG’s 
> Technical Working Group, Department Head of Engineering and Public Policy and a professor of Computer Science at 
> Carnegie Mellon University, will chair the review itself.
>  
> This will be BITAG’s tenth technical review and report.  BITAG’s recent reports have focused on: IoT security and 
> privacy, differentiation of Internet traffic, Internet interconnection, real-time network management of Internet 
> congestion, and port blocking, among other topics. Copies of these technical reports can be found on the BITAG 
> website at www.bitag.org. 
>
>
> Attached is a copy of the press release and below is more information on BITAG, its structure, and processes. 
> Please feel free to contact us with any questions or comments. 
>
>
> Doug
>
> Douglas C. Sicker
> Executive Director
> Chair of the Technical Working Group
> Broadband Internet Technical Advisory Group (BITAG)
> dsicker () bitag org
>
> About BITAG. BITAG is a non-profit, multi-stakeholder organization focused on bringing together engineers and 
> technologists in a Technical Working Group (TWG) to develop consensus on broadband network management practices and 
> other related technical issues that can affect users’ Internet experience, including the impact to and from 
> applications, content and devices that utilize the Internet.
>
> BITAG’s mission includes: (a) educating policymakers on such technical issues; (b) addressing specific technical 
> matters in an effort to minimize related policy disputes; and (c) serving as a sounding board for new ideas and 
> network management practices. Specific TWG functions also may include: (i) identifying “best practices” by broadband 
> providers and other entities; (ii) interpreting and applying “safe harbor” practices; (iii) otherwise providing 
> technical guidance to industry and to the public; and/or (iv) issuing advisory opinions on the technical issues 
> germane to the TWG’s mission that may underlie disputes concerning broadband network management practices.
>
> BITAG TWG reports focus primarily on technical issues, especially those with the potential to be construed as 
> anti-competitive, discriminatory, or otherwise motivated by non-technical factors. While reports may touch on a wide 
> range of questions associated with a particular network management practice, the reports are not intended to address 
> or analyze in a comprehensive fashion the economic, legal, regulatory or public policy issues that the practice may 
> raise.
>
>
> BITAG Leadership — 
>
> Executive Director & Chair of the Technical Working Group — Dr. Douglas C. Sicker is BITAG’s Executive Director and 
> Chair of the Technical Working Group. Doug is also currently the Department Head and professor of Engineering and 
> Public Policy with a joint appointment in the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University, as well as 
> Chief Strategist of CMMB Vision. Previously, Doug was the DBC Endowed Professor in the Dept. of Computer Science at 
> the University of Colorado at Boulder with a joint appointment in, and director of, the Interdisciplinary 
> Telecommunications Program. Doug recently served as the Chief Technology Officer and Senior Advisor for Spectrum at 
> the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). Doug also served as the Chief Technology 
> Officer of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). 
>
> Deputy Director & General Counsel — Kaleb A. Sieh is BITAG’s Deputy Director and General Counsel, where he performs 
> an operations and legal role. Previously, he was a Research Fellow at the Silicon Flatirons Center at the University 
> of Colorado Law School, where he engaged in research and writing in telecommunications law, technology, and policy. 
> He received his J.D. from CU-Law and his B.A. in Economics from CU as well. 
>
>
> About BITAG’s Technical Review Process. BITAG’s core substantive work is performed through its Technical Working 
> Group (TWG), which was formed with the core principles of being: technically driven, balanced, open, efficient, 
> independent, and flexible. The TWG reviews technical issues brought to it through Review Requests submitted by both 
> Members and non-Members, or through a majority weighted vote of the TWG engineers themselves. Each individual Review 
> is taken up by a Committee of the TWG that is composed of engineers and technical experts representing a broad cross 
> section of the Internet ecosystem.  TWG Committees generally operate on a consensus basis, with backstop weighted 
> voting procedures so that when consensus cannot be achieved, each Member category has an equal say in the work 
> product regardless of the composition of the Committee. Finally, BITAG was structured to work as expeditiously as 
> possible, with each Committee operating under a 120-day “shot clock” to complete the respective review and attendant 
> technical report. 
>
>
> Questions, Suggestions, or Topics? BITAG welcomes any questions, comments or suggestions. Also, if you are interested 
> in submitting a technical topic to BITAG, please contact our Deputy Director at ksieh () bitag org. 



-------------------------------------------
Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now
RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/18849915-ae8fa580
Modify Your Subscription: https://www.listbox.com/member/?member_id=18849915&id_secret=18849915-aa268125
Unsubscribe Now: 
https://www.listbox.com/unsubscribe/?member_id=18849915&id_secret=18849915-32545cb4&post_id=20170927110910:CE5BC6CE-A395-11E7-8B8C-B6213BBCF3E9
Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com