- A New Approach To Privacy Protection - Bruno Baeriswyl John Borking Helmut Bäumler Marit Köhntopp Privacy Commissioner Zurich, CH Registratiekamer, NL Independent Centre for Privacy Protection Schleswig-Holstein, D Overview Trust and Privacy Protection Authorities The Idea behind the Project Aims of the Virtual Privacy Office Ways and Means to the Aims Modules Technological Aspects Co-operation within the Project Possible Problems Conclusion and Outlook 1
Trust as an Essential Element of the Information Society Today s IT Systems: highly complex, intransparent & lacking control lacking fundamental security demands correctness cannot practically be proven by formal means The Element of Trust: users feel uneasy about their privacy trust is important for IT systems, especially for safety/security matters trust is valuable for vendors Trust plays an essential role in the information society. Privacy Protection Authorities: Trusted Parties Tasks: guarantee privacy & data security (as laid down in Privacy Acts) being an advocate for citizen s privacy rights Requirements: independence trustworthiness & discretion acceptance interference when necessary Methods: monitoring use of personal data (control visits) in case of infringements of Privacy Acts: complaint recommending improvements publications & (bi)annual activity reports 2
The Net is bringing social changes so profound their only parallel is probably the discovery of fire. Louis Rosetto The Idea behind the Virtual Privacy Office Users are concerned about privacy: increasing data trails and motion profiles almost no limits to analysability of data neither limitation of use to specific purpose nor protection against their misuse can be guaranteed Transformation of society revaluing privacy concepts: need for action in order to prevent the loss of privacy new tasks for Privacy Commissioners: more than web presence basis: absorbing Internet technology and culture New ways needed to act adequately to challenges posed by the Internet 3
The question before you is not preservation of the status quo - all hope of that is now lost.... Demand privacy, while the question is still relevant. Dan Geer Aims of the Virtual Privacy Office E-Privacy: privacy protection contact for users absorbing Internet culture: open discussions & open source Privacy Protection Network: information exchange & division of labour assembly point for privacy experts & platform for projects Gaining Working Knowledge: learning by doing: practical experience Updating the State of the Art for Technical Measures: support of Privacy Enhancing Technologies Main aim: new quality of privacy protection 4
There is power in this Internet to create conversations and open source is the heart of it. Tim O'Reilly More Detailed: Ways and Means to the Aims Transparency: open discussions with experts and the public open source for software Participation: everybody is invited to take part project pool to bring people together High Standards of Privacy Protection and Data Security: put existing law into practice give new impulses by developing concepts testbed for Privacy Enhancing Technologies Feedback: transfer to manufacturers, providers, users, legislators, standardisation bodies 5
Modules of the Virtual Privacy Office Forums for Project Partners: mailing lists, Virtual Private Networks (VPN) Privacy Internet Portal: FAQ, search engines, on-line privacy magazine Public Privacy Office: individual questions, call centre management system Forums for Experts: mailing lists, web forums, project pool Basis: Privacy Information Database (being developed) Project Events: Regular Meetings of Project Associates Public Project Events Note: The layers displaying the four main modules are each built from the basics. The tasks can in order of their realization be found beneath. marks tasks currently in progress (as of 09/2000) Concepts: - Webdesign - Structure and Presentation of Content Individual Service via E-mail Webserver with Dynamic Page Generation and Authoring System Room for any Experts: - Invitation for Participation - Privacy Events Public Privacy Office Privacy Internet Portal Forums for Project Associates Forums for Experts Thematic Mailing Lists and Other Forums Project Pool Workflow & Call Center Functionality: - Classification of E-mails - Personal Assistants with - Forwarding to Responsible Departments Editing Support - Ticket System: Trace Job Status Contents: - Frequently Asked Questions - Detailed Expert Information - Tools for Self-Protection Basic Features: - Catalogues - Search Engine - Multilingual Support Advanced Features: - On-line Magazine - Hyperlink Management - Interactivity Mailing Lists via an own Server Integration of Encryption Technologies Virtual Private Network: Privacy VPN Virtual Meetings: - Chatrooms - Videoconferences via the Internet Groupware System with Document Management Basics Basic Concepts: - Functionality of the Separate Modules - Requirements and Interfaces - Technology and Organization Internet Access: - of the Privacy Protection Authorities - at the Workplace - Providing of Servers Knowledge Management Systems: - Structured Knowledge - Technical Representation (XML) - Information Database with Adequate Search Patterns Evaluation: Practicable Concepts for Privacy Protection and Data Security 6
Participation of Trusted Parties in Technology Design Building Trust into (Technological) Systems: General advice Participation in standardisation Individual consultation Active prototyping Participation in development Technology: Design, Implementation, and Operating Functionality different optimization methods sometimes putting effort in one field leads to restrictions in the other(s) sometimes increase in all fields is possible Security Privacy 7
Technology in the Virtual Privacy Office Developing Innovative & Privacy Enhancing Concepts (basis: security, data minimization): for Internet Connectivity for Virtual Private Networks for Ticket Systems & Workflow Knowledge Management System: structured privacy information representation in XML Tools for Internet Users and Privacy Protection Authorities: recommendations & links download area for privacy tools Principle: Open Source where possible 8
Platform for Projects Project Pool: people looking for ideas (e.g. students, researchers) ideas looking for realisation Supporting Projects: fund raising among several interested parties reuse existing modules because of open source PET in Action: prove of practicability bringing PET on the market PET becoming state of the art Results useful for e-government and e-commerce Co-operation within the Virtual Privacy Office Project Partners (September 2000): D: Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and a number of regional Offices for Privacy Protection NL: Registratiekamer CH: Privacy Commissioners CA: IPC Ontario Possible Co-operation Partners from Internet community, science, organisations, economy etc. Prototype sponsored and supported by: Schleswig-Holstein Information Society Initiative Independent Centre for Privacy Protection Schleswig-Holstein Technology Foundation Schleswig-Holstein 9
Present Status and Schedule September 2000: mailing lists and web server on-line for project partners End of November, 2000: authoring and moderating systems for project partners going public (German & English version) 2001: Virtual Private Network for project partners integration of external experts 2002: support by privacy information database and workflow system enlargement by Privacy Mall Scalability of the project: size and pace depend on invested resources 10
Possible Problems Garbage Collection? Connectivity Problems? Only Little Impact? Not Operating On Internet Time? Conclusions and Outlook Virtual Privacy Office - a new approach to privacy protection new role for Privacy Protection Authorities by absorbing Internet culture by making use of technology remodelling privacy protection with available resources E-Privacy privacy information and privacy tools for Internet users networks for Privacy Protection Authorities Everybody is invited to participate: as project partners: Privacy Protection Authorities as co-operation partners: other experts 11
Contact: Virtual Privacy Office Project info@privacyservice.org www.privacyservice.org 12