Privacy advocates warn about Internet proposal

["Robert Kemp" <sensuant@hotmail.com>]

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Privacy advocates warn about Internet proposal
Serial number of each PC would go with every parcel of data


By Ted Bridis
ASSOCIATED PRESS

October 12, 1999


WASHINGTON -- Engineers designing a new way to send information across the 
Internet want to include a unique serial number from each personal computer 
within every parcel of data, an idea that privacy advocates fear could lead 
to tracing of senders' identities.

Critics warn that, if adopted, the move could strip away a measure of
anonymity and security enjoyed by tens of millions of home computer users 
who dial into America Online Inc. and other Internet providers over 
traditional telephone lines.

The issue also illustrates the danger of the unintended consequences from 
arcane design decisions aimed at ensuring the Internet's stability into the 
21st century.

The proposal by the Internet Engineering Task Force, an international
standards body, would include the serial number for each computer's network 
connection hardware as part of its expanded new Internet protocol address.

These "IP" addresses, planted within e-mails and all other information
flowing across the Internet, must be unique to distinguish each computer on 
the global network and to guide the billions of bits and bytes flowing among 
them.

The task force's top engineers acknowledge some implications for online 
privacy, but, "I think the privacy concerns are overrated," said Fred Baker, 
the task force's chairman.

But some privacy experts said they were appalled that engineers would
consider the idea. The new address proposal, called "IPv6," would not become 
widely used for years but ultimately would affect every Internet user.

Critics warned that commercial Internet sites, which already routinely 
record IP addresses, could begin to correlate these embedded serial numbers 
against a consumer's name, address and other personal details, from clothing 
size to political affiliation.

The task force itself will ultimately decide whether to include the
identifying numbers in the new IP addresses. The timing on that decision is 
unclear.

Baker said the task force is also envisioning ways to configure Internet 
devices manually so addresses won't contain the sensitive numbers.

"Those folks concerned about the privacy issue could use this (alternate) 
technique," said Thomas Narten, an IBM software engineer working with the 
task force.

Most home computer users are assigned a different IP address each time they 
connect to the Internet through a telephone line, which affords some extra 
security and anonymity. It's akin to a person using a different phone number 
every day to shield his identity and avoid prank phone calls.

But under the task force's proposal, a portion of even those somewhat
randomly assigned addresses could include the consumer's unique serial 
number -- and that information would be stamped on every piece of 
information sent from his computer.

"I'm just winding the tape forward here five years, when we all say, 'Oh, my 
God!' " said Richard L. Smith of Brookline, Mass., a security expert who was 
among the first to question the plan.

The danger worsens, critics warn, as Internet sites begin to share
information about their customers: A consumer visiting a Web site for the 
first time could be identified by his computer's serial number that had been 
recorded at another site.





Copyright 1999 Union-Tribune Publishing Co.




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