Week+9+-+9.3.2012


 * Deep Packet Inspection** is defined as “a networking technology that Internet Service Providers use to monitor customers’ data traffic, mediate its speed, and improve network security.” This definition is put forward by Christopher Parsons and Colin Bennet of Deep Packet Inspections Canada, an organization raising awareness to the deep packet inspecting done in Canada by popular ISPs.

The very definition proposed by the organization raises three noteworthy aspects about deep packet inspecting, and what it can potentially mean for the end user.

The first point illustrates Canadian ISPs’ power to essentially have each of their customers under constant surveillance, with regards to incoming and outgoing requests over the internet. This raises concern with users as this means that even sensitive information being downloaded and/or uploaded is potentially being monitored and most likely being stored on the ISPs servers. This could lead to a variety of issues such as black-mail, identity theft, and potentially unlawfully accessed evidence for criminal charges.

The second point explicates that ISPs have the authority to mediate users’ internet connections if suspicious data sharing is observed. This however goes against the notion of net neutrality, which derives its modern meaning from Pacific Telegraph Act of 1860. The act states “that messages received from any individual, company, or corporation, or from any telegraph lines connecting with this line at either of its termini, shall be impartially transmitted in the order of their reception, excepting that the dispatches of the government shall have priority .” Although this definition regards communication through telegraphs, it seems only natural to associated the web with this concept as it is essentially a technologically advanced replacement of the telegraph.

Very briefly, the final point made in the definition of DPI really seems as if it is coming from the perspective of the ISPs and not everyday internet users. This definition claims that ISPs utilitize DPI to “improve network security” [1]., but how in any way is monitoring user’s secure online activities improving network security? Could it not be argued that DPI actually does just the opposite of improving this security, and that by allowing the DPI process to continue, internet users are essentially forfeiting the notion of //secure// browsing?