Re: [projectvrm] [Privacy-list] Tracking the Trackers - Talks@TechSci 11/18 11AM - 12PM

[Doc Searls < >]

> On Nov 12, 2016, at 2:16 PM, Rob van Eijk 
> <
 >
>  wrote:
> 
> 
>>> Why are those concerns not surfaced in the Wikipedia article, or 
>>> elsewhere? (That I can find, anyway?) I have no idea. But I would like to 
>>> have one, or a few.
> 
> Three thoughts I would like to add to the discussion:
> 
> HTTP/2 (SPDY4) is not enabled by default in browsers (yet). E.g., in 
> firefox, the settings are configurable in 
> network.http.spdy.enabled.http2draft and security.ssl.enable_alpn.

If it is enabled by default, will it become a protocol-level shortcut for 
surveillance of individuals?

> Major browsers, e.g., Firefox and Chrome, will (most likely) implement 
> HTTP/2 support for TLS connections only, which in fact would enhance the 
> privacy of the communication with a server.

But if the server is, say, a publisher with adtech partners that by default 
pump dozens of tracking files into browsers for surveillance purposes, will 
it matter whether or not TLS is employed? (And isn’t it anyway? Not sure.)

> Communications secrecy is a different risk compared to web tracking. But 
> HTTP/2 is "intended to be as compatible as possible with current uses of 
> HTTP" (see, e.g., https://http2.github.io/http2-spec/#HEADERS).

I suppose it is a grace of HTTP that, in its relative simplicity, it doesn’t 
have the job of caring about spying (permitted or otherwise) done by servers 
on clients. 

> Therefore, I think that there is no reason to assume that existing 
> standardization in the HTTP header like Do Not Track wouldn't work. This 
> means that, from the application perspective, the features of the HTTP 
> protocol are largely unchanged. Moreover, the DNT JavaScript API would also 
> work in HTTP/2.

In the case of DNT, it’s opt-in for the server today, right? Meaning the 
server can ignore the request or obey it. Would that change with HTTP/2?

Doc

> 
> Rob
> 
> Doc Searls schreef op 2016-11-12 20:39:
>> Thanks for bringing this up.
>> Here is the link to the Wikipedia article on HTTP/2:
>> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTTP/2>
>> And here is the #Criticisms section of the article:
>> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTTP/2#Criticisms>
>> And here is a link to a document with the texty cited below (a passage
>> from its "10.8 Privacy Considerations” section):
>> <https://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-ietf-httpbis-http2-17#section-10.2>
>> (Feb 2015)
>> Here are two more links to later versions of the same:
>> <http://www.tech-invite.com/y75/tinv-ietf-rfc-7540.html> (May 2015)
>> <https://github.com/Jxck/http2/blob/master/main/rfc7540.txt> (May
>> 2015)
>> Why are those concerns not surfaced in the Wikipedia article, or
>> elsewhere? (That I can find, anyway?) I have no idea. But I would like
>> to have one, or a few.
>> Anybody know the authors? Here they are:
>> M. Belshe,  BitGo
>> R. Peon, Google, Inc
>> M. Thomson, Mozilla
>> Doc
>>> On Nov 12, 2016, at 10:08 AM, Peter Cranstone
>>> <
 >
>>>  wrote:
>>> For all you privacy advocates you need to read section 10.8 of the
>>> HTTP 2.0 spec. Or as it should be known - Tracking 2.0
>>> So what's the Holy Grail of advertising - to track you across
>>> MULTIPLE ORIGINS. What does this mean? Multiple devices. You're on
>>> your desktop and then you switch to mobile.
>>> Ok.. so with that in mind read the following section:
>>> 10.8 Privacy Considerations
>>> * Several characteristics of HTTP/2 PROVIDE AN OBSERVER AN
>>> OPPORTUNITY TO CORRELATE ACTIONS OF A SINGLE CLIENT OR SERVER OVER
>>> TIME. These include the value of settings, the manner in which
>>> flow-control windows are managed, the way priorities are allocated
>>> to streams, the timing of reactions to stimulus, and the handling of
>>> any features that are controlled by settings.
>>> * AS FAR AS THESE CREATE OBSERVABLE DIFFERENCES IN BEHAVIOR, THEY
>>> COULD BE USED AS A BASIS FOR FINGERPRINTING A SPECIFIC CLIENT, as
>>> defined in Section 1.8 of [HTML5].
>>> * HTTP/2's preference for using a single TCP connection allows
>>> correlation of a user's activity on a site. Reusing connections for
>>> different origins allows tracking across those origins.
>>> * Because the PING and SETTINGS frames solicit immediate responses,
>>> they can be used by an endpoint to measure latency to their peer.
>>> THIS MIGHT HAVE PRIVACY IMPLICATIONS IN CERTAIN SCENARIOS.
>>> All you have to do is 'Follow the Money'. HTTP needs to evolve for
>>> mobile advertising. And that means I need to track you across
>>> different origins.
>>> HTTP2 is a protocol that is supported by a web server and browser.
>>> Look to see who controls BOTH endpoints. I wonder whose browser and
>>> server will support 2.0 first.
>>> DNT is now no longer required because the PROTOCOL is tracking you,
>>> NOT the headers or the Identifiers or the Attributes.
>>> It's good to own a browser.
>>> Peter Cranstone
>>> Sent with ProtonMail [5] Secure Email.
>>>> -------- Original Message --------
>>>> Subject: [projectvrm] Fwd: [Privacy-list] Tracking the Trackers -
>>>> Talks@TechSci 11/18 11AM - 12PM
>>>> Local Time: November 11, 2016 3:35 PM
>>>> UTC Time: November 11, 2016 10:35 PM
>>>> From: 
>>>> 
 
>>>> To: ProjectVRM list 
>>>> <
 >
>>>> TALKS@TECHSCI IN THE TOTS AND TIP SERIES [1]
>>>> Friday 11/18 11AM - 12PM in CGIS Knafel K262 (1737 Cambridge St).
>>>> Conference call 724-707-3623 [2] PIN: 53553
>>>> Tracking the Trackers
>>>> <TALKS9_IMAGE.PNG>
>>>> Online tracking poses a serious privacy challenge that has drawn
>>>> significant attention in both academia and industry.
>>>> In this talk, I discuss my company's recent work in detecting
>>>> tracking and exposing both the extent of tracker and the (mostly
>>>> unseen) profiles generated by the tracking for the trackers. I
>>>> will also reflect on whether the benefits of "Big Data" actually
>>>> requires a massive privacy breach on a global scale or whether
>>>> this is just a convenience for the companies involved to have all
>>>> the data at hand. The interesting case of the browser (a major
>>>> component/accomplice in tracking) as a precursor of things to come
>>>> when everything becomes a computer (IoT etc...) will be discussed.
>>>> SPEAKER: Jean-Paul Schmetz is the Chief Scientist of Burda GmbH (a
>>>> major German Media Company) and the founder/CEO of Cliqz GmbH (a
>>>> browser/search engine company owned by Burda and Mozilla). He
>>>> received his MS in Computer Science from Stanford University and
>>>> his MA in Philosophy from the University of Louvain.
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Privacy-list mailing list
>>>> 
 
>>>> To unsubscribe from this list or get other information:
>>>> https://lists.fas.harvard.edu/mailman/listinfo/privacy-list [3]
>>>> --
>>>> Adrian Gropper MD
>>>> PROTECT YOUR FUTURE - RESTORE Health Privacy!
>>>> HELP us fight for the right to control personal health data.
>>>> DONATE: http://patientprivacyrights.org/donate-2/ [4]
>> Links:
>> ------
>> [1] http://dataprivacylab.org/TIP/
>> [2] tel:724-707-3623
>> [3] https://lists.fas.harvard.edu/mailman/listinfo/privacy-list
>> [4] http://patientprivacyrights.org/donate-2/
>> [5] https://protonmail.com/