Bell ‘welcomes’ DPI privacy findings
p2pnet news view Freedom | P2P:- In a spin worthy of the RIAA, Bell spokesman Mirko ‘Mr 5%’ Bibic, “welcomed the privacy commissioner’s findings” on its use of DPI (deep privacy invasion, or deep packet inspection, depending on where your interests lie).
“We’re pleased with the outcome as Bell takes privacy issues very seriously, and that includes respecting all privacy laws in our use of DPI,” he said in a statement, according to the CBC. “Hopefully with this decision, the network management proceeding, and the dismissal of CAIP’s complaint last year all behind us, we can keep the focus where it belongs …”
From his comments, keyed by a recent statement from deputy privacy commissioner Elizabeth Denham (right), one could be forgiven for believing the commissioner’s office has warmly endorsed Bell’s DPI efforts.
However, “A spokesperson for the commissioner … said the office was certainly not approving DPI,” says the story.
“The commissioner found that Bell’s DPI, which among other things is used to identify peer-to-peer file-sharing so that it can be slowed down, tracks a person’s IP address — a numeric code that identifies a specific computer on a network,” it says, continuing »»»
Users’ IP addresses typically change each time they log onto the internet, but as is common practice among service providers, Bell ties the codes to subscribers’ user identifications.
Denham considers this combination to be personal information that belongs to customers, which is protected under privacy laws.
And, “Given that Bell can link its Sympatico subscribers, by virtue of their subscriber ID, with internet activities (in this case, type of application being used) associated with their assigned IP addresses, in my view, IP addresses in this context are personal information,” she wrote, says the CBC.
A Bell spokesman is quoted as saying the company will now, “add an FAQ [regarding] use of DPI on [the] Bell.ca privacy page”.
Bell, “needed to know what language to use,” he said.
Stay tuned.
(Cheers, Marc)
CBC – Bell ordered to inform customers about data gathering, August 28, 2009
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August 29th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
Did Bell ever conclusively prove to the CRTC that their infrastructure’s bandwidth was so overtaxed they needed to use DPI to throttle bandwidth?
August 29th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
^^ Nope.
Cheers!
August 29th, 2009 at 7:23 pm
Does Bell ever have to PROVE anything??
So, Bell needs to know what language to use on a Bell.ca page.
I would suggest English for the English users, and French for the French users.
August 31st, 2009 at 3:30 am
I’ve repeatedly have said that:
1) Bell needs to be forced to break up–theyâre much too large!
2) The CRTC needs to change the telecommunications licensing system. A license for the transmission of data via Internet needs to be separate from a license to transmit phone data to the current and most importantly the future demand for bandwidth to meet the ever-growing needs of Canadians. A company cannot have one license that allows them to transmit phone and computer data on the same wire (cable, fiber optic line, etc.). A license that gives a company the right to transmit telephone transmissions for example is contingent on the licensee meeting the needs of its customers. If the demands of customers begin to start to exceed the capacity of the licensee’s phone system, the licensee must increase its capacity in order to meet the demands of its customers. If the licensee is unwilling to spend the money to expand its telephone capacity it will face financial fines per day by the CRTC until the licensee complies to expand its network. If a licensee begins charging its customers the same price for reduced service, the CRTC will remove the license from this company! In other words, if a licensee will not spend the capital investment to expand its telephone network but rather reduces its customers access (phone calls between 9 AM – 6 PM can only last 3 minutes then the company will automatically disconnect the customers phone calls. Also every customer is limited to just a total of 45 minutes of phone calls from noon – 11 PM) while still charging its customers the same price as if the licensee’s service wasn’t restricted then both massive fines will be applied by the CRTC plus the licensee will loose its license!
3) So in the case of Bell, its license that allows them to transmit phone and Internet data on the same fiber optic line must cease! Bell must have 2 separate licenses, one for phone and one for the Internet with each license legal conditions being separate. If Bell meets consumer demand regarding its fiber optic network that transmits phone data then thatâs terrific. However, if Bell throttles all Canadians (whether or not they are a direct Bell Internet customer of if they use a 3rd party ISP who is renting some of Bellâs capacity) rather than spends the capital to expand its fiber optic system to meet the growing demands of Canadian then Bell will face hefty fines per day by the CRTC! As well Bell may face the option of the CRTC revoking its license to transmit Internet data unless its willing to expand its fiber optic network!
4) Licensees of the transmission of data whether of phone or Internet may not use technology to identify or slow down or intercept the flow of data being transmitted across its network! Only police via a court order will have the power to use technology separate out and identity the source of information being transmitted.