cct205_in_class_exercise_7


 * __How should DPI be handled? Or if it shouldn't be done, then what instead? __**

Deep packet inspection (DPI) is a technology that can be used for good or evil. It’s a method of examining the data within a packet as it passes through an inspection point to identify its nature. The technology has a variety of purposes; many of which are beneficial to a network, such as the ability to detect viruses or spam within data and to block such packets from passing through. Other uses, however, such as censorship of data or spying on traffic as a method of copyright enforcement are widespread in many countries and arguably unethical.

To answer the question on how it should be handled, it’s my personal opinion that using such technology as enforcement of censorship and copyright does more harm than good. While governments and third parties associated with corporations such as the MPAA or RIAA try to maintain control over people by using DPI, as it becomes known amongst the people that it’s being done a state of unrest and distrust sprouts and grows.

As an ultimate result the users of DPI for such reasons don’t catch the copyright infringers or those with the thirst for truth because the vast majority of them make use of proxies or virtual private networks (VPNs) to remain anonymous in their activity and bypass censorship by masking their IP. What they are left with are no leads to the users they want to persecute and a very large mass of discontented law-abiding citizens who feel their privacy is being invaded online.

DPI should remain in use for its beneficial effects, and although it’s unrealistic that governments and corporations will cease their use of it to control people, it’s been well documented by multiple scholarly sources as an ineffective tactic to battle piracy (I can provide references on request—my group assignment happens to brush up on this). The real solution, at least to battle the problem of piracy, is in a reworking of the entire concept of copyright and for giant associations like the MPAA and RIAA – among many others – to admit that their outdated policies and ideas are no longer profitable and to accept a compromised system that’s fair to end-users and content creators alike.

One such organization striving for the above is the Creative Commons—click if you wish to follow up on it!