Hi Gonzalo,
Thanks your your reply. I understand that it's necessary to word things
carefully, but I hope ISOC can find a way to specifically call out both
mining of personal data (whether or not traceable to individual
identities) and mass surveillance (whether or not by state-supported
actors) as significant threats to the public welfare.
Keith
On 11/06/2017 05:34 AM, Gonzalo Camarillo wrote:
Hi Keith,
thanks for your comments.
In the context of ISOC it's important to understand that the Internet
can be used for good or ill, but it's in danger of becoming more of the
latter. Promoting the Internet as if it were a universal good, while
ignoring the various ways it can be used to exploit or harm its users,
does not seem either responsible or consistent with ISOC's history.
There are of course limits to what ISOC can do about it, but I don't
think ISOC should be silent and/or pretend that it's not a problem.
I agree with you. In fact, this is a topic I also brought up in my
closing talk at ISOC's 25th anniversary event a few weeks ago. In the
past, it was assumed that more connectivity was always good. Nowadays,
as you point out, ubiquitous and constant connectivity has clear
downsides as well. In addition to the examples you discussed, Internet
addiction and the social problems it is already causing in some parts of
the world (e.g., increases in car accidents, social isolation, etc.) is
an important concern as well.
I also agree with you that there are clear limits to what ISOC can or
should do about it. As I mentioned in previous emails, in addition to
the work on the mission statement we are working on defining ISOC's
scope in more detail in different areas, "policy" being one of them. We
are currently working on identifying particular areas where, based on
ISOC's capabilities, we should engage. We are also identifying areas
where ISOC should not get involved.
With respect to capturing this in the mission statement, the proposed
text reads as follows: The Internet as "a force for good in society".
That sentence tries to capture the social benefits we are after (as
opposed to just wanting connectivity for the sake of it, without any
"higher" purpose).
Cheers,
Gonzalo