Surprising Facts on ISP Visibility into Internet Activitypeterswire.net/wp-content/uploads/stateofthenet.012516...Surprising Facts on ISP Visibility into Internet Activity Peter Swire

Surprising Facts on ISP Visibility into Internet Activity

Peter Swire

Huang Professor of Law and Ethics

Georgia Institute of Technology

State of the Net 2016

January 25, 2016

Introduc)on–  Ahottopic–roleofISPsinInternet,includingwhatprivacyrules

shouldapply–  Thisresearch:

•  Descrip)onofthefacts,notpolicyrecommenda)ons–  Accuratedescrip)oniskeytogoodpolicy

•  Respondstoques)onsraisedbyFCCwhenItes)fiedinAprilhearingonbroadbandprivacy

•  Detailedreportexpectedwithinamonth,withmycolleaguesJus)nHemmings&AlanaKirkland

•  Ifanyoneseesmistakesinourfacts(noworaMerpublica)on),letusknowandwewillcorrect

•  Idisagreewithtwofactualstatementsinprivacygroups’lePerlastweek.IdidnotseethelePerun)laMeritwaspublished,andsocouldnotcommentonitpre-publica)on.

•  Ihaveworkedcloselywithmanyofthesignatoriesforyears.Ihopeandexpecttodosogoingforward.

Contras)ngViews

•  LePerlastweek:ISPshave“comprehensive”visibilityintouserInternetac8vity

•  Ourresearch:•  No•  SSLencryp8onblockscontent

•  SSLencryp8onblocksdetailedlinks

•  Encryp8onisbecomingpredominant

Contras)ngViews-VPNs

•  LePerlastweek:“Noristhereanywayforconsumerstoavoiddatacollec)onbytheen))esthatprovideInternetaccessservice.”

•  Ourresearch:•  VPNsblockISPaccesstocontentanddetailedlinks.

•  VPNsalsoblocktop-levelURL.

•  ConsumerscanuseVPNs,andmanydo.

The1990sandISPs

1.  Desktopathome2.  Unencryptedcommunica)ons3.  ISPdoesDNSlook-up

Allofthathaschanged,alot:1.  Mul)pledevices,oMenloggedinatWifispots2.  Encryp)on3.  VPNsandotherproxyservices

Conclusion•  Theseimportantpolicyissuesshouldbefoundedoncarefulandaccurate

understandingoftoday’s(andtomorrow’s)technologyandmarkets•  Encryp)onappliesbroadlytodaytokeyInternetac)vi)es,including:

–  E-commerce–  Search–  SocialNetworks–  Textmessaging(overthetop=Internet)–  Internetvideo(in2016)–  Webmail

•  VPNsandotherproxyserversarealsolargeandgrowing•  ClaimsthatISPhave“unique”or“comprehensive”accesstouserdata

mustbetestedagainsttheseimportantfacts

Credits•  ImagesforaPribu)ontoMarieLePichon,underaCrea)veCommons

APribu)on4.0license.•  Researchsupportfrom:GeorgiaTechSchellerCollegeofBusiness;Georgia

TechIns)tuteforInforma)onSecurityandPrivacy;BroadbandforAmerica.