Hi Keith, yes, ISOC has activities on that front. For instance, a couple of weeks ago ISOC organized the following Chatham House Roundtable on Encryption and Lawful Access: https://www.chathamhouse.org/event/encryption-and-lawful-access Cheers, Gonzalo On 07/11/2017 2:00 AM, Keith Moore wrote: > 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 >