Violations of Privacy in the Internet: Issues

Richa — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 13:38:55 +0000

There has been a growing concern globally regarding increasing instances of violations of privacy while using the internet. We have heard many a times about incidents where someone innocently watching his/her computer monitor, checking his/her email or chatting with a friend, is being watched constantly by another person or persons and is later harassed or contacted unwarrantedly. Cases of identities stolen over the net are becoming increasingly more and more common.

How is such a thing possible?

The Internet is based on IP (Internet Protocol) system. The IP is a special network protocol designed at the early 70’s for U.S. defense purposes, which has become a widely used solution today.[1] Most of today’s computers are connected by IP, and its extension, TCP/IP. The IP protocol is a set of independent nodes (computers) connected somehow between themselves, each node has unique identifier assigned to it, and special rules exists which help computers exchange data with each other through intermediate computers, called “IP routers”. The unique identifier is called IP address, and every networked computer must have it in order communicate to others. In order to view your current IP address, you can run “ipconfig” from command line under Windows or open web sites like www.netconceal.com or www.showmyip.com.The problem with this is that, the IP address identifies your location, no matter how you are connected to the Internet. For example, a broadband connection like DSL connection from your home is managed by Internet Service Provider (ISP) who can track you down. Even with wireless connections, such as WiFi or GPRS, they are being tracked as well (GPRS stations are able to determine your position with a mile precision, WiFi are even more location-bound), and service providers always register and identify you as a subscriber (for billing purposes mostly). The ISP has records of your Name, Age, Address and other personal details. So, every time you surf the Internet, your IP address is publicly visible to everyone on target network resources, therefore, your actual location and even name and age can be tracked as well.

Who can access these details?

These details can be accessed by anyone who has access to the target network resources. These can either be obtained by persuading the owner of the network resource owner or by hacking into the network resources. There are numerous instances of both the situations. Anyone can convince a web site owner or hosting provider, ISP or WiFi access point owner to give these details. Many companies have ties and arrangements to share their databases. Most companies buy these details from the ISPs in order to increase their customer database and we have the instances of unwanted people at our doorsteps trying to sell us goods and services that are of no use to us. There are also scarier instances of stalkers, religious/political fanatics and other demented people who make actually try to make personal contact to settle their scores or just to harass their target person.

Possible remedies

At the present there can be two possible remedies for having privacy on the internet.

Ban by law the practice of keeping records whatsoever of IP addresses and their subscribers. There are many alternate methods of billing. For e.g. on the basis of time, bandwidth, etc. Although this may seem like a complete solution, there may however, be practical issues in implementing such laws worldwide. I
The users themselves use various means to hide their IPs. Ex. by use of Anonymous Proxy Servers. There are lists of anonymous proxies published throughout the web on various web sites, for example www.proxyblind.org. Alternatively there are software that automatically conceal your IPs like NetConceal Anonymizer .

The Cons of having privacy on the Internet

It will be increasingly difficult to track down people who misuse the internet including people who send spam mails, hackers, etc.

Issues:

Whether there should at all be any privacy on the internet?

Whether it is beneficial to have a legislation to regulate privacy issues on the Internet?

Whether the use of anonymous IPs is a real solution at all?

Please feel free to post your comments whatever they are. Please suggest, if there are any other issues that need to be or may be raised on the issue.

[1] See, A Brief History of the Internet and Related Networks, and A Brief History of the Internet,

useful link:

Lawyers weekly online on online privacy.

Google.com

link to my UNSW: