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Re: [ontolog-forum] Ontological issues relative to privacy.

To: ontolog-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
From: John McClure <jmcclure@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 17 Jan 2014 15:46:11 -0800
Message-id: <52D9C0C3.5070104@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Hello Michael - I agree, the national security complex (NSC) should be an important contributor to achieving the Ontolog mission; in fact, our success might help the NSC travel a much less-controversial road than the one they're on, so my strong hope is that this effort is *welcomed* by all actors in the NSC.

Here's how I'd like to see this play out.

If an OPO (Ontolog Privacy Ontology) were created by which one specifies privacy expectations, and such is automagically transmitted in our digital communications, then there's a basic mechanism for establishing accountability, the bedrock notion of our social systems. As I see it, the problem is that there is no mechanism per se for people to state their privacy expectations about generic communications or about any specific communication or about any specific part of that communication or about any specific metadata relating to that communication (eg the keyboard was the input device for the communication). As noted, aspirational ToS agreements are simply distractions meant for the stupids, so surely we agree they cannot be relied upon to drive accountability and enforcement. 

With a privacy infrastructure of this nature in place, FISA authorizations can then cause a specific person's privacy profile (so to speak) to be filtered in a manner that requires recipients to echo communications with that person to the NSC. In this way, NSC no longer has need to saddle every damn router on the Internet and collect every damn GET/PUSH and do their best to break every damn encryption simply because they have no capacity otherwise to capture all communications of that person. This kind of scheme might address the core problem as I see it: absent an OPO deeply embedded in communication protocols, FISA courts et al have no option BUT to give non-specific, blanket authorization to the NSC -- this is what breaks the 4th Amendment, which demands absolute specificity for search & seizure. To me it's crystal clear in the current environment the obverse proposition presented to the FISA is clearly quixotic: to end their practices in their totality. Yes I know the implication is that anonymity is lost -- forever -- not privacy, as some claim. Which doesn't bother me in the slightest, because I sure as hell don't want unlicensed cars on the road, unlicensed doctors treating me, nor anonymous hackers communicating with me. (note: when I swear, I'm just being passionate!)

Now having said all that, I'll note my deep skepticism that searching communications or metadata for "patterns" of behavior (Sowa, this is the work of a psychometrician you speak of) is a fruitful activity at all, holding aside its cost of disregard for the 4th Amendment. But that's another topic. Bottom line is that an OPO is essential to "re-normalizing" the NSC/Citizen working relationship. If someone else (the W3?) is moving in this regard, great, we as a group need to be heavily invested in their success physically technically and politically.

Finally on the eve of MLK holiday I remind everyone that:
There is a great deal of difference between non-resistance and non-violent resistance. Non-resistance leaves you in a state of stagnant passivity and deadening complacency. Whereas non-violent resistance means you resist in a very strong and determined manner. [Martin Luthor Kin and Malcom X Debate]
 
On 1/17/2014 2:16 PM, Michael Brunnbauer wrote:
Hello John,

I second that. National security very likely currently is the biggest adopter 
of RDF and related technologies. I can hardly imagine that this will stay so 
forever so I do not have a problem with those technologies.

There should be many ways for the general public to profit from that work 
without harming security or even the profits of the companies involved.

Maybe adoption of these technologies would be more widespread if people
were not reluctant to talk of the successful use cases in national security?
Unless they are totally evil, of course ;-)

Regards,

Michael Brunnbauer

On Fri, Jan 17, 2014 at 11:06:41AM -0800, John McClure wrote:
As a followup thought, I'd like to share an expectation I've had for the 
year or so since I joined this list, one unclear can ever materialize. I 
have no doubt representatives of the National Security community are on 
this list (rightly and appreciatively so) and, knowing personally about 
the levels of funding drenching that community for the past dozen years, 
I wanted to be aware of the 'give back' that community would now provide 
to open citizenry, its direct investors and clearly its most primary 
stakeholders. So I want to ask in a general way, what ontologies /have 
/been developed by this community, what can be shared, with us? Anything 
about privacy (asked with no tongue in cheek)?

Even more pointedly is that the National Institute for Standards & 
Technology should have an inventory of the ontologies (being) developed 
in-house to all government agencies. Why do I sense this level of 
information, integration and facilitation, is simply absent from the 
work here?

This site is beginning to seem a bit like a charade to me. (/charade: 
/an absurd pretense intended to create a pleasant or respectable 
appearance). I'd rather that not be the case for many many reasons. 
Thanks for any response/jmc


On 1/17/2014 10:21 AM, John McClure wrote:
On 1/17/2014 9:42 AM, Kingsley Idehen wrote:
All isn't over, I am pretty confident about that, as long as humans 
are involved. Folks just need to wake up!

So true and I think an effective contribution would be to create an 
Ontolog-branded ontology for Privacy.

I'm hearing people talk about two different kinds of Privacy. One 
concerns information NOT communicated to another -- implanted bugs and 
a personal journal are mentioned -- for which there is a presumptive 
expectation of non-disclosure byf its owner. This type of privacy out 
of scope on this forum in my opinion, as valid and important as it 
most definitely is, because otherwise we may walk into a cul-de-sac 
that turns people here off. More fruitful would be to develop a 
mechanism that promotes _transparency and accountability_ when data 
owners' stated privacy expectations are not met by those with whom the 
data owner has communicated the protected information.

An ontology for representing those expectations seems appropriately 
calibrated to the mission of Ontolog.net. One that can be referenced 
within this text:

   _Facebook Term of Service_ (emphasis added)
   "*You own all of the content and information you post* on
   Facebook, and you can control how it is shared through your
   privacy <https://www.facebook.com/settings/?tab=privacy> and
   application settings
   <https://www.facebook.com/settings/?tab=applications>.

   In addition: For content that is covered by intellectual property
   rights, like photos and videos (IP content), you specifically give
   us the following permission, subject to your privacy
   <https://www.facebook.com/privacy/> and application settings
   <https://www.facebook.com/settings/?tab=applications>: you grant
   us a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free,
   worldwide license to use any IP content that you post on or in
   connection with Facebook (IP License).

The present situation is like the dawn of telephony -- we're all 
talking on a party-line, with zero expectation of privacy, now it's 
time to create an SS7 protocol for the Internet, if you will. In the 
meantime, I'll leave hardware matters to others who have more sway 
than the soapbox we have here.

/jmc


 
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