1. The Internet and Privacy This could be a problem Copyright © 2012 – Curt Hill

2. 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 Copyright © 2013 – Curt Hill

3. 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 Copyright © 2013 – Curt Hill

4. 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 Copyright © 2013 – Curt Hill

5. 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 Copyright © 2013 – Curt Hill

6. 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 Copyright © 2013 – Curt Hill

7. 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 Copyright © 2013 – Curt Hill

8. 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 Copyright © 2013 – Curt Hill

9. 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 flatEarth is flat –Holocaust was a lieHolocaust was a lie Much good as well –Opposition to oppressive governments Copyright © 2013 – Curt Hill

10. 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 Copyright © 2013 – Curt Hill

11. 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 Copyright © 2013 – Curt Hill

12. “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 interests Copyright © 2013 – Curt Hill

13. 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 Copyright © 2013 – Curt Hill

14. 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? Copyright © 2013 – Curt Hill

15. 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? Copyright © 2013 – Curt Hill

16. 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 Copyright © 2013 – Curt Hill

17. 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 Copyright © 2013 – Curt Hill