Subject: web-priv description

From: April Marine <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 15 Dec 1997 14:23:48 -0800 (PST)

Here is Larry's original description of the concerns the web-priv group
would address.

- April

Web User Privacy: Expectations and Threats BOF (webpriv)

Monday, December 8 at 1930-2200
===============================

Chair: Larry Masinter <[email-masked]>

DESCRIPTION:

There are a number of methods in use that gather information about
Internet (and World Wide Web users). While much of the information
gathering is benign, the potential for abuse is high.

Popular reports of the privacy issues around web browsing have focused
on the issue of 'cookies': the use of the HTTP state management
mechanism to send information about the user to a third party. However,
there are a large number of other possible threats. For example,
software packages, when downloaded and installed, may send the user's
identification and other information directly to the maker of the
software package, in the name of 'helping' with the identification of
the user's configuration. Maintainers of proxy caches could leave
logs of user activities publicly available. Companies could join
in a consortium to share information about user preferences and behavior.

While this kind of information can have many positive uses, it also
can be misused. Internet users may not be aware that their reading
behavior is observed, and there have been many cases where privacy
of information about an individual's use of public libraries, video
rentals and other media have been at issue.

The goal of the BOF is canvas for interest in a working group
(in USV) aimed at creating a set of guidelines which will aid
both system administrators and protocol designers: what are the
nature of the threats to user privacy, and what are some of the
mechanisms and policies that are necessary to avoid such threats.