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.