[Privsec] Privacy and Human Rights as an Enabler to the Information Society

[Robert Guerra]

my mistake - only have time for a 2-3 min intervention

At 7:27 PM +0000 2/22/05, Gus Hosein wrote:
>I've cut it down to six paragraphs, which in my estimation, will 
>take about 4 minutes to speak.
>
>At 19:22 22/02/2005, Robert Guerra wrote:
>>We need a max 3 to 5 min intervention that will be spoken on 
>>Thursday  as part of the CS  internet governance input.
>>
>>The latest draft is below and @ the wiki . if you have any 
>>suggested revisions please make then on the wiki. deadline  is 
>>Tomorrow afternoon.
>>
>>
>>regards
>>
>>Robert
>>
>>
>>http://wiki.digitaldivide.net/wiki/index.php/Drafting_Space_for_WGIG_Input
>>
>>
>>From Digital Divide Wiki
>>
>>Privacy and Human Rights as an Enabler to the Information Society
>>
>>We would like to draw privacy and human rights to the attention of 
>>those involved in the WSIS process and the Working Group on 
>>Internet Governance.
>>
>>Privacy is an essential human right, and is enshrined in the UN 
>>Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant of 
>>Political and Civil Rights. Its importance as a basis for the 
>>development of a democratic society is stressed time and again by 
>>the UN Human Rights Committee and by the UN High Commissioner for 
>>Human Rights. It has also been emphasized by regional instruments 
>>such as the European Court of Human Right or the OECD.
>>
>>In an ŒInformation Society¹, where almost all attributes of an 
>>individual can be known, all interactions mapped, and all 
>>intentions assumed based on records, the need for protection of 
>>privacy is crucial to retain a sense of freedom.
>>
>>Privacy encourages co-operation and trust. Whether in support 
>>groups on-line, or in consultations with doctors and counsellors, 
>>or within the marketplace, such interactions are supported by 
>>privacy.
>>
>>Following from the WSIS declaration in Geneva in 2003 and the work 
>>of the WGIG, we insist that privacy is not only protected offline, 
>>but also on the internet.
>>
>>     * One detailed example is the next generation internet 
>>protocol, IPv6. The the right-most 64 bits of the address field 
>>contain EUI-64 Ethernet information, which is normally not 
>>transmitted outside the local network. Included in this are 
>>information on the manufacturer of the network card and the user's 
>>Ethernet address. That means: Every packet you send out onto the 
>>public Internet using IPv6 has your fingerprints on it. And unlike 
>>your IP address under IPv4, which you can change and that can be 
>>assigned dynamically, this address is embedded in your hardware 
>>permanently. Therefore fully anonymous internet access will no 
>>longer be possible.
>>
>>Other examples we just briefly want to mention:
>>
>>     * Access policies that include marketing and advertising 
>>regimes, or policies that promote the creation of web-services that 
>>do not adequately protect users' privacy will create inequalities 
>>in the protection of fundamental human rights.
>>     * Voice-over IP policies and standards that promote 
>>surveillance over confidentiality of communications may inhibit the 
>>growth potential of this technology.
>>     * Initiatives on unlawful speech and measures to protect 
>>intellectual property may cast wide nets through the collection of 
>>personal information, which will in turn chill free expression.
>>     * Requirements to disclose your identity prior to speak, 
>>whether through policies on domain names or through authentication 
>>protocols, will unnecessarily hamper free expression.
>>     * Agreements, standards and protocols on network security that 
>>do not first protect the privacy of individuals will affect all 
>>conduct within the Information Society.
>>     * We must consider policies on education that remind us all of 
>>the importance of human rights, not merely as something that we 
>>would like, but as necessities.
>>
>>Privacy and other human rights protect the greatest social value: 
>>human dignity. We have seen far too many times the gross 
>>mis-carriages of justice that were enabled through vast 
>>surveillance and curtailment of other human rights. These 
>>mis-carriages are not only blights upon our legal systems but they 
>>reflect negatively upon our societies and our sense of humanity.
>>
>>Privacy protects individual autonomy and human agency. Knowing 
>>everything about someone reduces that person to a set of known 
>>facts, controllable and manipulatable. As long as a zone of 
>>autonomy exists around the individual, the opportunities for abuse 
>>and oppression are lessened. Privacy provides a core pre-condition 
>>to participation, a most basic civil liberty. Privacy is thus a 
>>fundamental component to freedom.
>>--
>>###
>>Robert Guerra <rguerra at privaterra.org>
>>Privaterra - <http://www.privaterra.org>
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>>Privsec mailing list
>>Privsec at wsis-cs.org
>>http://mailman-new.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/privsec


-- 
###
Robert Guerra <rguerra at privaterra.org>
Privaterra - <http://www.privaterra.org>