CS2190 Discussion Topic:

Governments, Companies, andUser Privacy

Discussion Questions• (Q1) Should a government have the right to control access to particular internet

sites from computers in its country?

• (Q2) Under what conditions, if any, should a government be able to obtain "private" data that's under the control of a company doing business with customers in that country? (E.g. user-ids and other "directory" info, or contents of emails or IMs, etc.)

• (Q3) Under what conditions, if any, should a company that provides network communications services for customers (e.g. an internet service provider or telecomm) examine the contents or type of network traffic generated by its customers? (E.g. Contents of email, or distinguishing Skype packets from other packets, or recognizing that data is coming from Netflix or from a warez site.)

• (Q4) For the last two questions, are the answers for Internet information different somehow than it is for telephone communications, or letters sent through the post-office?

For you to do:

• Talk about at least two of these questions in a group of 4 or 5 students here in class today.

• Listen to follow-up discussion.• Before next class, on Collab, enter a few

paragraphs explaining your view on two of Q1, Q2 or Q3. You’ll be judged on showing:– You understand the issues.– You can state a position and justify it in terms of your

beliefs, values, or understanding of laws or society’s values.

Some links…

• Network neutrality:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_neutrality

• Wire-tapping:http://epic.org/privacy/wiretap/

• Warrentless surveillance:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NSA_warrantless_surveillance_controversy

• Network neutrality:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_neutrality

• Yahoo and dissidents in China:http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/02/10/yahoo_china_cyber-dissident_flak/