This document proposes a public policy framework for governing the internet that is based on three principles: (1) respecting the functional integrity of the internet's modular, end-to-end design, (2) adopting a multi-stakeholder approach to governance that involves players from the private sector, technical community, civil society and governments, and (3) taking a cautious and deferential stance towards existing governance structures and protocols within each layer of the internet. The framework divides internet policy into three dimensions - functions, rules and players - and advocates different governance approaches depending on whether the issue relates to the physical, logical or applications layers of the internet's architecture.
This document discusses governance challenges and opportunities for the Internet of Things (IoT). It identifies five key topics of IoT governance: identification, privacy and security, ethical principles, decentralized architectures, and developing a European IoT standard. The document outlines policy options and presents a proposed roadmap to develop an IoT recommendation by March 2013 through a process of public consultation, impact assessment, inter-service consultation, and translation. The recommendation would provide a framework for IoT governance through a mix of self-regulation, co-regulation, and standardization.
The document discusses limits to free speech in the 21st century media landscape. It covers how digital communication has transitioned from a one-to-many system to many-to-many. It also examines issues like technical censorship, propaganda and surveillance, criminal and civil lawsuits regarding online content, the role of intermediaries and algorithms, terrorism, public shaming, and whether access to the internet and freedom of expression should be considered basic human rights. It includes a quote noting that technology amplifies inherent human traits rather than creating new problems.
This document discusses designing for the Internet of Things from a user-centered and data-driven perspective. It addresses privacy concerns around data collection and governance, as well as business implications like user experience, data storage policies, and ethics. Designing for IoT requires considering chips, development boards, cloud services, and applications to build prototypes and products that can connect everyday objects and demonstrate value through video or funding within 6 months.
Internet Society Hong Kong -- Chapter introductionCharles Mok
ISOC HK was formed in 2005 as a multi-stakeholder group focused on internet users. It is concerned with issues like domain names, internet governance, freedom of information, digital inclusion, and engaging user communities. Some of its key engagements have included advising the government and responding to consultations. It has organized conferences on topics such as Wikimedia and domains. Going forward, it plans events on IT and the city as well as a Hong Kong bloggers conference.
The document discusses strategies for civil society organizations (CSOs) to advocate on internet policy issues in Indonesia, including online freedom of expression. It identifies key issues like privacy, surveillance, and net neutrality. CSO representatives discussed these topics and how to prioritize them for engagement at the 2013 Internet Governance Forum. The document also examines Indonesia's law on electronic information dissemination and some court cases around online defamation, identifying the law as a hindrance to internet users' rights. CSOs plan capacity building, media outreach, and stakeholder engagement to advocate reforming this law to protect freedom of expression.
Lecture 2011.05B - FOSS Communities and the Spread of Free (Digital Sustainab...Marcus Dapp
This document discusses the spread of free and open source principles from software to other domains. It provides background on FOSS communities, noting they are predominantly young, educated males. Motivations for contributing to FOSS include skills development, reciprocity, and ideology. Governance ranges from anarchy to benevolent dictatorship. The document outlines how free/open principles are expanding to content, formats, and protocols through definitions and licensing models. Examples of open standards and debates around technical versus legal openness are presented.
This document discusses governance challenges and opportunities for the Internet of Things (IoT). It identifies five key topics of IoT governance: identification, privacy and security, ethical principles, decentralized architectures, and developing a European IoT standard. The document outlines policy options and presents a proposed roadmap to develop an IoT recommendation by March 2013 through a process of public consultation, impact assessment, inter-service consultation, and translation. The recommendation would provide a framework for IoT governance through a mix of self-regulation, co-regulation, and standardization.
The document discusses limits to free speech in the 21st century media landscape. It covers how digital communication has transitioned from a one-to-many system to many-to-many. It also examines issues like technical censorship, propaganda and surveillance, criminal and civil lawsuits regarding online content, the role of intermediaries and algorithms, terrorism, public shaming, and whether access to the internet and freedom of expression should be considered basic human rights. It includes a quote noting that technology amplifies inherent human traits rather than creating new problems.
This document discusses designing for the Internet of Things from a user-centered and data-driven perspective. It addresses privacy concerns around data collection and governance, as well as business implications like user experience, data storage policies, and ethics. Designing for IoT requires considering chips, development boards, cloud services, and applications to build prototypes and products that can connect everyday objects and demonstrate value through video or funding within 6 months.
Internet Society Hong Kong -- Chapter introductionCharles Mok
ISOC HK was formed in 2005 as a multi-stakeholder group focused on internet users. It is concerned with issues like domain names, internet governance, freedom of information, digital inclusion, and engaging user communities. Some of its key engagements have included advising the government and responding to consultations. It has organized conferences on topics such as Wikimedia and domains. Going forward, it plans events on IT and the city as well as a Hong Kong bloggers conference.
The document discusses strategies for civil society organizations (CSOs) to advocate on internet policy issues in Indonesia, including online freedom of expression. It identifies key issues like privacy, surveillance, and net neutrality. CSO representatives discussed these topics and how to prioritize them for engagement at the 2013 Internet Governance Forum. The document also examines Indonesia's law on electronic information dissemination and some court cases around online defamation, identifying the law as a hindrance to internet users' rights. CSOs plan capacity building, media outreach, and stakeholder engagement to advocate reforming this law to protect freedom of expression.
Lecture 2011.05B - FOSS Communities and the Spread of Free (Digital Sustainab...Marcus Dapp
This document discusses the spread of free and open source principles from software to other domains. It provides background on FOSS communities, noting they are predominantly young, educated males. Motivations for contributing to FOSS include skills development, reciprocity, and ideology. Governance ranges from anarchy to benevolent dictatorship. The document outlines how free/open principles are expanding to content, formats, and protocols through definitions and licensing models. Examples of open standards and debates around technical versus legal openness are presented.
Jim Clarke, Waterford Institute of Technology, IRELAND: Session Introduction FIA2010
This document summarizes the agenda for a session on "Privacy and Citizenship" that took place on December 16, 2010. The session focused on two main topics: 1) user/citizen issues related to privacy and 2) the economics of privacy. It included keynote speeches from experts in privacy and data protection, followed by a panel discussion on each topic with experts from research institutions and industry. The goal of the session was to have an open discussion around balancing privacy, innovation, and citizens' rights on the future internet.
The document discusses the Internet of Things and describes KioT, a kit for building objects that can sense and communicate. KioT allows for the design of adaptable solutions for multiple contexts of the Internet of Things through a set of composable blocks. It has both a physical interface for building systems and a web-based interface for configuration. Examples provided include a smoke detector, alarm clock, and temperature aggregator built with KioT.
The document summarizes the 4WARD project's approach to mobility challenges in a future internet. The 4WARD project takes a clean-slate approach to designing a global communications infrastructure that focuses on an "information-centric" network and integrates mobility as a core capability. It aims to overcome today's complex mobile scenarios through architectural concepts like virtualization of networks and a "network of information" that manages distributed information objects independently of location. The project is developing prototypes and design principles to realize virtual mobile networks and mobile virtual networks with guaranteed interoperability of functions like mobility, security and quality of service.
1) The document discusses the X-Internet, which was proposed in 2000 as an evolution of the traditional Internet and World Wide Web to address some of their limitations.
2) Key aspects of the X-Internet include it being an "Executable Internet" that moves application execution closer to end users for faster response times, and an "Extended Internet" that connects physical objects to the digital world through sensors and RFID tags.
3) Some advantages of the X-Internet discussed are reducing data transfers by distributing processing logic between servers and smart clients, and providing a more interactive and context-aware experience than the traditional web.
Emerging internet trends that will shape the global economyWB_Research
The document summarizes statistics about internet usage globally as of 2014, including the number of mobile devices, smartphones, internet hosts, and users. It then outlines some of the technical evolutions of the internet over time, such as the increasing usage of IPv6 and internationalized domain names. It discusses implications of the internet in 2014, including the rise of mobile access, image and data sharing, augmented reality, location tracking, and social networking, as well as challenges around privacy, political issues, cybersecurity and more. Finally, it raises examples of internet policy challenges and the potential role of organizations like the World Bank in supporting internet infrastructure development and policy.
Making Better Internet Policy: An Analysis of the National Information Infras...Jeremy Pesner
My Masters Thesis mapped diversity of stakeholder involvement to policy outcomes of the National Information Infrastructure. I reviewed many archival documents from the era and interviewed nearly twenty different stakeholders who were involved at the time.
Thesis Committee: D. Linda Garcia, David Ribes, Michael R. Nelson
20130103 cedar symposium durable data infraastructureRene van Horik
This document summarizes a presentation on archiving historical census data. It discusses the threats to digital information like format and system obsolescence. It introduces the Open Archival Information System reference model for long-term digital preservation. It then summarizes the goals and current state of the "HisTel" project to create an infrastructure for preserving and providing access to historical statistics and census data. Key issues discussed include how to handle new dataset versions, what additional services could be built, what digital objects should be archived, and what representation information is required.
This document summarizes a presentation given by William H. Dutton at UNESCO on their Internet study. The study identified four "keystones" or principles for inclusive knowledge societies: access to information and knowledge, freedom of expression, privacy, and ethics online. These keystones form a framework called R-O-A-M, which stands for rights, openness, accessibility, and multi-stakeholder participation. The study was developed through a multi-stage consultation process and aims to guide policy and governance around ensuring an open, trusted, and accessible Internet for all.
A talk on the use of mobile technology as infrastructure for next-generation electronic identity, using the Consult Hyperion "utility model" for identity.
This document discusses the need for an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the future of the internet, called "Internet Science". It proposes creating a Network of Excellence to support multidisciplinary research and education in internet-related fields. The goals would be to understand how technological changes impact society and to design networks that enable positive social outcomes. An "internet scientist" profile would combine expertise from areas like networking, sociology, law, economics and more. Activities may include workshops, schools, researcher exchanges and defining priority research areas.
This dissertation explores the social context and influences on the early adoption and use of mobile devices. It examines how social influences can help explain the adoption and use of smartphones. The research questions focus on the extent that social influences and competing forces can explain early adoption and use. Four articles are presented that use case studies and social network approaches to analyze how social networks, norms, and opinion leaders shape individual adoption decisions. Conceptual frameworks are developed to analyze adoption through multilevel research examining the interplay between individual and group levels.
This document discusses the history and evolution of the Internet of Things (IoT) for smart environments. It outlines key characteristics of IoT including sensing, processing, connectivity, and intelligence. The document presents three case studies from 2003 to 2017 that demonstrate challenges in early IoT development and how those challenges have been addressed over time. These include issues with standards, tools, scalability, and user customization. Finally, the document discusses future directions for IoT, including architectures, artificial intelligence, privacy, commercialization, and applications in smart homes, robotics, and mixed reality.
This document provides an overview of an Internet of Things course for the 2018-2019 academic year. It includes 5 units that will cover topics such as IOT protocols, the web of things, network dynamics applications, resource management, smart grids, and electrical vehicle charging. The course objectives are for students to understand IOT protocols, applications of the web of things, and network dynamics. The document lists 4 textbooks that will be used and provides descriptions of the topics that will be covered in each unit.
The document provides an overview of a presentation on cyber physical systems and security challenges. It introduces the speaker, Nitin Garg, and the event location, ALTTC Ghaziabad. It then outlines topics that will be covered, including where technology currently stands, industry 4.0, cyber physical system classification and description, IoT/IIoT connectivity, security issues and challenges, and the impact of COVID-19 on industry 4.0.
Internet of Things is a global phenomenon and like any other such phenomenon requires a robust architecture for its happening. This presentation covers a web based architecture for IOT called Web of Things
Preparing for the Next Wave - IOT, Sharing Economy, Jobs and SkillsTanya Sammut-Bonnici
The global economy is entering the third wave of information technology, characterised by interconnected platforms of people, objects and resources. The Internet of Things (IoT) as a technology enabler of the Sharing Economy and its global platforms are due to grow exponentially in the next decade, placing demands on skills and changing the employment landscape. The demand for low-value-adding work will decrease as resources are used more effectively. The demand for information technology skills will continue to rise in order to meet the requirements of developing IoT products, software, apps, networks, cloud infrastructure, data management and information systems.
Jim Clarke, Waterford Institute of Technology, IRELAND: Session Introduction FIA2010
This document summarizes the agenda for a session on "Privacy and Citizenship" that took place on December 16, 2010. The session focused on two main topics: 1) user/citizen issues related to privacy and 2) the economics of privacy. It included keynote speeches from experts in privacy and data protection, followed by a panel discussion on each topic with experts from research institutions and industry. The goal of the session was to have an open discussion around balancing privacy, innovation, and citizens' rights on the future internet.
The document discusses the Internet of Things and describes KioT, a kit for building objects that can sense and communicate. KioT allows for the design of adaptable solutions for multiple contexts of the Internet of Things through a set of composable blocks. It has both a physical interface for building systems and a web-based interface for configuration. Examples provided include a smoke detector, alarm clock, and temperature aggregator built with KioT.
The document summarizes the 4WARD project's approach to mobility challenges in a future internet. The 4WARD project takes a clean-slate approach to designing a global communications infrastructure that focuses on an "information-centric" network and integrates mobility as a core capability. It aims to overcome today's complex mobile scenarios through architectural concepts like virtualization of networks and a "network of information" that manages distributed information objects independently of location. The project is developing prototypes and design principles to realize virtual mobile networks and mobile virtual networks with guaranteed interoperability of functions like mobility, security and quality of service.
1) The document discusses the X-Internet, which was proposed in 2000 as an evolution of the traditional Internet and World Wide Web to address some of their limitations.
2) Key aspects of the X-Internet include it being an "Executable Internet" that moves application execution closer to end users for faster response times, and an "Extended Internet" that connects physical objects to the digital world through sensors and RFID tags.
3) Some advantages of the X-Internet discussed are reducing data transfers by distributing processing logic between servers and smart clients, and providing a more interactive and context-aware experience than the traditional web.
Emerging internet trends that will shape the global economyWB_Research
The document summarizes statistics about internet usage globally as of 2014, including the number of mobile devices, smartphones, internet hosts, and users. It then outlines some of the technical evolutions of the internet over time, such as the increasing usage of IPv6 and internationalized domain names. It discusses implications of the internet in 2014, including the rise of mobile access, image and data sharing, augmented reality, location tracking, and social networking, as well as challenges around privacy, political issues, cybersecurity and more. Finally, it raises examples of internet policy challenges and the potential role of organizations like the World Bank in supporting internet infrastructure development and policy.
Making Better Internet Policy: An Analysis of the National Information Infras...Jeremy Pesner
My Masters Thesis mapped diversity of stakeholder involvement to policy outcomes of the National Information Infrastructure. I reviewed many archival documents from the era and interviewed nearly twenty different stakeholders who were involved at the time.
Thesis Committee: D. Linda Garcia, David Ribes, Michael R. Nelson
20130103 cedar symposium durable data infraastructureRene van Horik
This document summarizes a presentation on archiving historical census data. It discusses the threats to digital information like format and system obsolescence. It introduces the Open Archival Information System reference model for long-term digital preservation. It then summarizes the goals and current state of the "HisTel" project to create an infrastructure for preserving and providing access to historical statistics and census data. Key issues discussed include how to handle new dataset versions, what additional services could be built, what digital objects should be archived, and what representation information is required.
This document summarizes a presentation given by William H. Dutton at UNESCO on their Internet study. The study identified four "keystones" or principles for inclusive knowledge societies: access to information and knowledge, freedom of expression, privacy, and ethics online. These keystones form a framework called R-O-A-M, which stands for rights, openness, accessibility, and multi-stakeholder participation. The study was developed through a multi-stage consultation process and aims to guide policy and governance around ensuring an open, trusted, and accessible Internet for all.
A talk on the use of mobile technology as infrastructure for next-generation electronic identity, using the Consult Hyperion "utility model" for identity.
This document discusses the need for an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the future of the internet, called "Internet Science". It proposes creating a Network of Excellence to support multidisciplinary research and education in internet-related fields. The goals would be to understand how technological changes impact society and to design networks that enable positive social outcomes. An "internet scientist" profile would combine expertise from areas like networking, sociology, law, economics and more. Activities may include workshops, schools, researcher exchanges and defining priority research areas.
This dissertation explores the social context and influences on the early adoption and use of mobile devices. It examines how social influences can help explain the adoption and use of smartphones. The research questions focus on the extent that social influences and competing forces can explain early adoption and use. Four articles are presented that use case studies and social network approaches to analyze how social networks, norms, and opinion leaders shape individual adoption decisions. Conceptual frameworks are developed to analyze adoption through multilevel research examining the interplay between individual and group levels.
This document discusses the history and evolution of the Internet of Things (IoT) for smart environments. It outlines key characteristics of IoT including sensing, processing, connectivity, and intelligence. The document presents three case studies from 2003 to 2017 that demonstrate challenges in early IoT development and how those challenges have been addressed over time. These include issues with standards, tools, scalability, and user customization. Finally, the document discusses future directions for IoT, including architectures, artificial intelligence, privacy, commercialization, and applications in smart homes, robotics, and mixed reality.
This document provides an overview of an Internet of Things course for the 2018-2019 academic year. It includes 5 units that will cover topics such as IOT protocols, the web of things, network dynamics applications, resource management, smart grids, and electrical vehicle charging. The course objectives are for students to understand IOT protocols, applications of the web of things, and network dynamics. The document lists 4 textbooks that will be used and provides descriptions of the topics that will be covered in each unit.
The document provides an overview of a presentation on cyber physical systems and security challenges. It introduces the speaker, Nitin Garg, and the event location, ALTTC Ghaziabad. It then outlines topics that will be covered, including where technology currently stands, industry 4.0, cyber physical system classification and description, IoT/IIoT connectivity, security issues and challenges, and the impact of COVID-19 on industry 4.0.
Internet of Things is a global phenomenon and like any other such phenomenon requires a robust architecture for its happening. This presentation covers a web based architecture for IOT called Web of Things
Preparing for the Next Wave - IOT, Sharing Economy, Jobs and SkillsTanya Sammut-Bonnici
The global economy is entering the third wave of information technology, characterised by interconnected platforms of people, objects and resources. The Internet of Things (IoT) as a technology enabler of the Sharing Economy and its global platforms are due to grow exponentially in the next decade, placing demands on skills and changing the employment landscape. The demand for low-value-adding work will decrease as resources are used more effectively. The demand for information technology skills will continue to rise in order to meet the requirements of developing IoT products, software, apps, networks, cloud infrastructure, data management and information systems.
Ecological Internet and Future Internet ResearchKilnam Chon
This document discusses the need for a more sustainable "ecological internet" as global internet usage increases. It notes that internet usage will reach 5 billion people by 2020 and addresses how to facilitate new users in an environmentally sound way. It also examines problems like privacy, addiction, and cyber threats and argues that future internet research should focus on inclusion of all people and harmonization with human society and the environment.
This document discusses how higher education institutions have led the way in addressing emerging IT issues like BYOD, cloud computing, big data, and mobility with limited budgets. It provides examples of how universities have supported a wide variety of student-owned devices and driven innovation through large research projects involving collaboration and data sharing. The document suggests enterprises can learn lessons from higher education's experiences in areas like policy, productivity focus, multi-tenancy infrastructure sharing, and driving technology innovation through ambitious projects.
The document discusses RIOT, an open-source operating system designed for Internet of Things (IoT) devices. RIOT aims to solve two key IoT challenges: running on small, constrained devices and enabling interoperability. It achieves this through a microkernel architecture requiring minimal memory, a modular network stack supporting standards like 6LoWPAN, and the ability to run multiple network stacks. The document provides an overview of RIOT's goals, principles, capabilities and community as an open alternative to proprietary IoT platforms.
Information governance in the Facebook EraJohn Mancini
This document discusses the implications of emerging technologies like social media and digital content for records managers. It notes that consumer technologies have advanced rapidly while enterprise systems have remained stagnant, and social media now generates vast amounts of potentially record-worthy information that falls outside traditional records management practices. The document examines challenges around retaining accurate and trustworthy information across various media, assessing what constitutes a public record on sites like Facebook and Twitter, and ensuring compliance with records retention requirements for digital communications.
(1) The document discusses the challenges of implementing the Internet of Things (IoT), which envisions connecting all everyday objects through networks of sensors and smart devices. (2) It identifies several technical challenges including developing platforms and standards, ensuring security and privacy, managing large amounts of data, and addressing issues of connectivity, power consumption, and complexity. (3) In addition to technical challenges, the document discusses business challenges regarding viable models, social issues involving privacy and regulation, and the challenges of defining object identity and addressing multiple disjointed application domains and technologies.
This document provides an overview of the Internet of Things (IoT). It discusses the history and development of IoT from 1997 to present day. Key points covered include the extraordinary benefits of IoT such as status updates, diagnostics, upgrades, control/automation, and location mapping. The document also addresses security and privacy challenges with collecting and sharing personal data through connected devices. Example applications of IoT highlighted are in manufacturing, infrastructure, transportation, healthcare, and media/advertising. The future of IoT is predicted to focus on enterprise, home, and government sectors, with enterprise being the largest at an estimated 9.1 billion devices by 2019.
This document summarizes a seminar presentation on the Internet of Things (IoT). It first defines IoT as connecting embedded devices to the internet and integrating data analytics. It then explains how IoT works through sensors collecting data that is digitized and placed on networks for analysis and action. Finally, it discusses the importance of semantics for enabling data sharing and interoperability among billions of connected devices and some challenges of privacy, complexity, and environmental impacts.
The War on Vertical Integration in the Digital EconomyAdam Thierer
Presentation delivered before the Southern Economic Association on November 16, 2012. Examines concerns about vertical integration in the tech economy and specifically addresses regulatory proposals set forth by Tim Wu (arguing for a "separations principle" for the tech economy) & Jonathan ZIttrain (arguing for "API neutrality" for social media and digital platforms. This presentation is based on two papers published by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University: “Uncreative Destruction: The Misguided War on Vertical Integration in the Information Economy” & “The Perils of Classifying Social Media Platforms as Public Utilities." Both are available at www.Mercatus.org.
On September 19, 2011, ITIF Senior Analyst Daniel Castro spoke on a panel at the Global IP Academy’s “Copyright in the Digital Age” program sponsored by the United States Copyright Office and the Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). His panel was entitled “Copyright Technology 101” and he discussed the various controls that can be used to protect intellectual property in different parts of the Internet ecosystem. The program was held at the USPTO in Alexandria, Virginia and included approximately 50 foreign government officials working on copyright issues.
This document discusses the history and evolution of the Internet of Things (IoT) from its origins in 2005 to modern applications. It describes key characteristics of IoT including sensing, processing, connectivity, and intelligence. Examples of early IoT projects are provided that highlight challenges overcome like lack of standards and limited scalability. The document also discusses user-centric approaches to IoT design and future directions like integrating AI and ensuring privacy and user acceptance.
Similar to Whitt citi conference presentation.final.10.17 (20)
5. II) The Emergent Effects
Net Benefits
Innovation
Economic Growth
Free Flow of Information
User Empowerment and
Human Flourishing
6. III) The Net’s Fundamental Architecture
Micro-Phenomenon: The
Internet’s basic design features
What • Modular Assembly
• End-to-End
Where Principle
• Network of
Why Networks
How • Agnostic Protocols
7. III) The Net’s Fundamental Architecture
Defining the Net’s Functions
Upper Layers
(Apps / Content Functions)
Middle Layers
(Logical Functions)
Lower Layers
(Physical Functions)
8. IV) The Internet Policy Principle
Above all else…
Respect the functional integrity of the
Internet
9. V) A Grounded Public Policy Framework
Policy Solutions in Three Dimensions
Players
Rules
Functions
10. VI) Putting It All Together
An Internet Policy Framework
Upper •
•
Applications / Content Functions
Private / Public Goods
• Multi-Stakeholder approach (FTC)
Layers • Cautious stance
Middle •
•
Logical Functions
Public Goods
• Polycentric Governance (NIST?)
Layers • Deferential stance
Lower •
•
Physical Functions
Private / Public Goods
• Multi-Stakeholder approach (FCC)
Layers • Cautious stance
11. VII) Real Life Examples
• PIPA / SOPA
• Internet Governance
??? ???
Policy Policy
Concern Solution
Good morning. I’m pleased to be here today to briefly discuss some thoughts on a new framework that policymakers can employ to tackle many of today’s most pressing online issues.The chief purpose is to base the framework on a deep grounding in the Internet’s actual design architecture.The primary takeaway is straightforward: Policymakers should do what they can to understand and respect the Net’s structural and functional integrity.
Many of you will remember last fall, as Congress was considering legislation to block the online dissemination of unlawful content -- SOPA and PIPA. Both bills were based on the same premise: impose certain technical requirements on website owners, search engines, ISPs, and other entities.Dozens of notable network engineers had pointed out, however, that the proposed means of filtering the Internet’s Domain Name System, and interfering with routine naming and routing functions, was problematic on at least two scores. First, it could be easily circumvented by people with the right technical know-how. Second, both the tech mandates and the circumventions would adversely affect countless innocent online activities. In other words, the pending legislation suffered from both ineffectiveness, or under-inclusion, and collateral damage, or over-inclusion. It was a bad functional fit to the goal of minimizing online content piracy. Strangely, those voices were not heard in any of the Congressional debates. Instead, the bills moves forward in both chambers and appeared close to passage.Of course many of you know what happened next. On January 18th a host of online companies participated in “Internet Blackout Day.” In protest over the SOPA/PIPA bills, over 115,000 websites committed what was the Web’s version of a collective work stoppage. Lawmakers received some 14 million email messages from users. The response was swift – the legislation would not be brought to the floor of either chamber. Despite their absence in the deliberations, the Internet nerds, it seems, had won the day.So why is that not the end of the story?
Despite the Internet Blackout Day, it is fair to say that many in Congress still do not have an informed appreciation for the structural and functional nature of the Net. Instead, the debate turned into a classic political battle, won only by unconventional but straightforward lobbying tactics, rather than the power of legitimate ideas. The SOPA/PIPA battle is just one of the major policy bookends for 2012. This December, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) will be considering dozens of member-nation proposals that could have the effect of imposing government regulations on Internet activities.With SOPA/PIPA, politics as usual won the moment. Frankly this is not a desirable outcome. Such shows of political force are usually difficult to replicate, complicated to harness, and can quickly lose their novelty and impact. Moreover, while most impressive and effective, at least for the moment, the show of force convinced politically, without convincing intellectually.
For all practical purposes, the Internet is becoming the chief operating system for society. And yet, confusion and misapprehension about how the Net functions – its basic design attributes and architecture– remains frighteningly high. Perhaps the Net community shares some of the blame for this predicament. For too long we urged policymakers simply to look the other way whenever talk about Internet regulation surfaced. After all, many of us simply laughed when a certain US Senator railed about the Net as a “series of tubes,” or a certain US President referred to “the internets” and “the Google” We were convinced that ignorance about the Net – just a big mysterious, amorphous cloud, right? – would lead our politicians to shy away from imposing law and rules. Just “don’t regulate the Internet,” whatever that means, and all would be fine. Unfortunately it has become painfully obvious that the days of easy sloganeering are over. It is time for the Internet community to explain itself. A new slogan may now be appropriate. A more modest but well-grounded one, to “respect the functional integrity of the Internet.”
Obviously the Internet has fostered numerous collective “Net benefits.” In brief these include: -- user innovation. Years of research show that the Internet actually provides the optimal background conditions for the creation and dissemination of innovations. Cerf: “innovation without permission.”-- economic growth. As economist Paul Romer puts it, “technological change is the heart of economic growth.” If it were a national economy, the Internet would rank in the world’s top five.-- the free flow of information. The Internet facilitates free expression and the marketplace of ideas.-- user empowerment and human flourishing. We should not overlook the very real benefits at what some call “the social layer.” Consumers are now empowered users and entrepreneurs and digital citizens.Of course, we also have what could be called “Net Challenges,” bad acts like dissemination of child pornography and denial of service attacks and online content theft. Importantly, the fundamental design features built into the Internet’s architecture actually facilitate the background conditions necessary to produce and enhance both the many beneficial properties, and the not-so-beneficial ones as well.And what are those basic design features that fuel both Net benefits and Net challenges?
The policy framework I have in mind takes seriously the design attributes built into the Internet. There are four of them, by my count:-- modular assembly (the “what” function); layering is the overall structural architecture of the Net, in which functional tasks are divided up and assigned to different software-based protocol layers – physical, logical, apps, etc.-- end-to-end control (the “where” function); this translates to some as “smart edges, dumb core,” but the basic point is that many functions can be more completely and correctly implemented at the network end points.-- interconnected networks (the “why” function); the overall rationale of moving traffic from Point A to Point B, using a network of networks; open and voluntary interoperability is the baseline goal embedded in the architecture.-- agnostic protocols (the “how” function); IP acts as the ubiquitous bearer protocol, supporting countless user activities and networks alike.These design features were derived organically and bottom-up, in open and transparent standards processes, through years of rough consensus from well-understood engineering principles.I use the term “integrity” to describe how these design elements fit together and function cohesively to create the user’s overall experience of the Internet.
So, how can we get more precise in terms of defining what we are trying to promote?Here I will employ the martini glass, rather than the more traditional hour glass, to explore the Net’s functions by using the modular model built into its structure. In short, you are what you do. Of the seven layers of the original OSI stack, one can delineate between three groupings of functions: those in the Lower Layers, the Middle Layers, and the Upper Layers. The Middle Layers functions constitute the narrow yet essential waist of the martini glass. These are the basic addressing and routing functions of the Internet:Layer 5: Session (HTTP, DNS)Layer 4: Transport (TCP)Layer 3: Network (IP)They constitute the demarcation between software facing inward and talking to the network, and software facing outward and talking to users; the “glue” that holds the Internet together. All four of the basic design attributes run through, and help define, these crucial Middle Layers. This also constitutes the place in the network where the various Internet standards bodies like IETF and W3C do their thing.The Lower Layers functions are the world of telecom networks and standards. They define the communications standards, protocols, and interfaces, such as Ethernet, WiFi, DSL, and DOCSIS, as well as the physical infrastructure itself. Upper Layers functions reside in Layers 6 and 7. Layer 6 is the world of end user applications, while Layer 7 is all the content and services generated by these interactions.
The overarching principle I am proposing is that policymakers should respect the functional integrity of the Internet, and resist government regulation that would violate or compromise the Net’s fundamental design attributes, located in the Middle Layers. My reasoning is that over the years the Internet was designed in a certain way, with certain standards processes, for very sound engineering reasons, and that its functionality has produced a raft of user benefits. Those design attributes and standards processes remain in place today.Where policymakers need to deal with Net challenges – the bad acts and actors – they should avoid adopting legal mandates that violate the Net’s functional integrity.Such tech mandates often represent a poor fit to the perceived policy challenge. In particular, this lack of fitness threatens to be under-inclusive (and thus not effective) and/or over-inclusive (and thus imposing collateral damage on innocent activities). In short, the ends and the means should align.
We need a way to frame correctly the policy debates involving the Internet. Here, I suggest using three different dimensions: the right functional target (Code), the right institutions (Rules), and the right organizations (Players).Just as important as what you do is how you do it. In assessing how to approach a perceived policy concern involving the Internet, there is more than just figuring out which functional aspect of the network to target. The policymaker also must determine the institutional tool to utilize, and the organizational entity to carry it out. A key takeaway is that there is a wide range of both institutions and organizations available to help structure market relationships.As long as we are sensitive to the tradeoffs involved with each of the three dimensions of Code, Rules, and Players, we can come up with some optimal policy solutions.
Here is a concise summary of my suggested Internet policy framework, as represented by a flaming adult beverage. Layers here provides the framing; the focus is on the three dimensions of the relevant functions and players and processes.One implication is clear: national and international political bodies should defer to the Middle Layers functions of the Internet, the pure “public commons.” The technical community there is actively engaged – via an impressive degree of transparency, participation, expertise, and accountability -- in figuring out where and how to draw the line between the way the Net has been operating, and where it will go from here. Policymakers should practice what Benkler calls “regulatory abstinence.”At the same time we should recognize a more explicit system of national overlays and underlays (aimed respectively at Upper and Lower Layers activities).
Finally, let’s talk quickly about two real-life examples.We’ve already touched on SOPA/PIPA. Both bills suffered from the same common defect: they sought to regulate functions in all three Layers , in order to address concerns about specific Upper Layers activities. This constitutes a classic layers-violation, one that is both over-inclusive (by harming substantial innocent uses) and under-inclusive (by failing to address technically-feasible alternatives). One also could see the proposed action as a violation of end-to-end design.A solution suggested by some, “follow the money,” has the virtue of targeting the basis for the concern – the lucrative nature of selling stolen content – without creating either functional undertargeting or overtargeting concerns. It may not be the right overall solution, but it is the right type of solution.A second example is the ITU, poised for the first time to regulate Internet-based activities. As an arm of the UN, the ITU engages in government-to-government negotiations over int’l telecom traffic. But in the WCIT conference in December, the ITU will be considering a host of troubling nation-member proposals. Some would make the telecom recommendations mandatory, thus supplanting the existing multi-stakeholder bodies for standards development. Other proposals would override existing methods of Internet naming, numbering, and addressing; regulate IP routing; and extend the scope of the regs to include Internet companies. The European telecom carriers have submitted their own proposal to expand the regs to include Internet connectivity, and seeking a “sending party network pays” compensation scheme that essentially levies a content fee on foreign websites. All of these proposals would impose telecom-style regulation of the Internet’s Middle Layers activities.In addition to possibly adopting bad substance, the ITU is also far from a multistakeholder model of openness and transparency. Thus the ITU seems to violate all three dimensions of the Internet policy framework: the wrong functional targets (Upper Layers activities and Middle Layers protocols), the wrong institutional tool (an international telecom treaty), and the wrong organizational body (the UN’s chief telecom regulator). The solution here is straightforward: the ITU should stick to its telecom knitting.