the internet and privacy this could be a problem copyright © 2012 – curt hill

The Internet and Privacy

This could be a problem

Copyright © 2012 – Curt Hill

Introduction• Those people who designed the Internet

did so without realizing where it would go• The Internet was designed to enable

email and file transfers• The World Wide Web was designed to

publish research papers• Nobody could know what it would

become• We cannot fault them for their inability to predict

the future• They created it


The Future

• Is there any reason to believe that the Internet will become less used?

• Unless some other technology replaces it, growth is the only foreseeable option

• Its impact will allow developing countries to catch up with the developed countries without the inherent pain of the past


A Walk Through History• In the 1500s printing became

affordable and widespread in Europe– Prior to that any book, such as the Bible,

could only be afforded by the rich

• Inexpensive printing revolutionized Western culture

• All but the very poor could afford books and education also flourished

• Everyone could become an independent thinker


Cultural Effects• In the privacy of their own homes

everyday people could read and form a view of what was happening

• They were no longer obligated to believe what any large institution wanted them to believe– Eg. Government and church

• This spawned the rise of the Scientific method, Protestant Reformation and democracy– All because of information and privacy


Today

• The Internet provides for a distribution of information that dwarfs the printing press – Only those with access to very large

libraries have better access than anyone with Internet access

• This gives rise to a several problems– Accuracy – Privacy


Accuracy• When information distribution

required substantial means, substantial concentration occurred

• Before radio and television this was newspapers and book publishers

• Newspapers were fast and books were slow

• When these outlets were free, then it usually became clear those that were biased and those that were not

• Freedom of the press


Quote• "The basis of our governments being

the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter. But I should mean that every man should receive those papers and be capable of reading them." --Thomas Jefferson to Edward Carrington, 1787. ME 6:57


Accuracy Again• The Internet has changed that for

both better and worse• Anyone may state a fact, whether

true or false– The appearance in media gives

credence to its truthfulness

• Lies with a web site:– Earth is flat– Holocaust was a lie

• Much good as well– Opposition to oppressive governments


http://theflatearthsociety.org/cms/

http://www.captiveminds.org/exzn/hhoax.htm

Privacy• The network is now routinely used

to spy on us• Most of this is somewhat harmless

– Companies use the information to more effectively market goods in which we might be interested

• Governments may obtain this information in a variety of ways to perpetuate unjust rule


What is recorded through the web?

• What sites we have visited• How long we were on a particular

page• What we searched for• What we purchased• What we looked at before and after

the purchase


“Free” Services

• Using free services provides more information

• Email services– Our friends and contacts– Content of the emails

• Social sites– Our friends

• Even pictures may be subject to facial recognition

– Our interestsCopyright © 2013 – Curt Hill

Perfect Spy

• Smart phones may be used to assist as well

• Insert a Trojan horse into a free game

• Record and send home:– Locations– Calls and phone numbers– Listen to everything going on– Observe whenever camera is usable


What is done with this data?

• Typically stored in a data warehouse• Then data mined for insights into

our behavior• When we view a page, we get an

advertisement that was chosen because of interests deduced from this data mining

• Is this a privacy violation?• Should we be concerned?


Government gets in• Governments are uniquely able to get

at this information, if they choose to do so

• Some businesses will cooperate– It is the right or patriotic thing to do

• Some businesses will be coerced– Excessive IRS audits– More forceful means

• Some businesses will be attacked– Who may buy better hackers than the

government?


Current Internet

• The dangers to our individual privacies are difficult to overstate

• In this country little has been done to exploit this information– Exception: Surveilance on terrorists

and other high profile criminals

• However, every line drawn will be crossed should some need arise


What can I do?

• One of the problems of the current Internet is privacy design flaws

• When and if the Internet is made to enforce privacy, much of this will be moot

• Oppose any congressional attempt to limit Internet privacy

• Know how things are done to prevent loss of own privacy


the internet and privacy this could be a problem copyright © 2012 – curt hill

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