OpenNet Initiative

For other uses, see OpenNet.

"OpenNet" redirects here. For the erstwhile Serbian web portal, see B92.

The OpenNet Initiative is a joint project whose goal is to monitor and report on internet filtering and surveillance practices by nations. The project employs a number of technical means, as well as an international network of investigators, to determine the extent and nature of government-run internet filtering programs. Participating academic institutions include the Citizen Lab at the Munk Centre for International Studies, University of Toronto; Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School; the Oxford Internet Institute (OII) at University of Oxford; and, The SecDev Group which took over from the Advanced Network Research Group at the Cambridge Security Programme, University of Cambridge.

Methods

The ONI uses several methods to test and document internet censorship in a country.

• Development and deployment of a suite of technical enumeration tools and core methodologies for the study of Internet filtering and surveillance;
• Capacity-building among networks of local advocates and researchers;
• Advanced studies exploring the consequences of current and future trends and trajectories in filtering and surveillance practices, and their implications for domestic and international law and governance regimes.^[1]

ONI Principal Investigators

The ONI principal investigators are:

• Ronald Deibert: Director, The Citizen Lab, Munk Centre for International Studies, University of Toronto
• John Palfrey: Executive Director, Berkman Center for Internet & Society, Harvard Law School
• Rafal Rohozinski: Principal, The Secdev Group, (former Director, Advanced Network Research Group, Cambridge Security Programme, University of Cambridge)
• Jonathan Zittrain: Professor of Internet Governance and Regulation, Oxford University^[1]

Major Accomplishments

ONI Asia

In December 2007, the International Development Research Center (Canada) approved a $1.2 million (CAD) project to expand the work of the Open Net Initiative to 15 countries in Asia. The project aims to build capacity among partners located in these countries to carry on the work of the Open Net Initiative at a national level. ONI Asia is managed by Rafal Rohozinski (The SecDev Group), and Ronald Deibert (The Citizen Lab). The regional coordinator is Al Alegre (Foundation for Media Alternatives, Philippines).

Psiphon

Psiphon is a censorship circumvention solution that allows users to access blocked web pages in countries where the Internet is censored. Psiphon allows a regular home computer to act as a personal, encrypted proxy server that allows the administrator to specify a username and password that is, in turn, given to someone in a country where internet censorship is prevalent so that users in that country will be able to browse the internet in a secure, uncensored manner.

In 2008 Psiphon was spun off as a Canadian corporation that continues to develop advanced censorship circumvention systems and technologies. Psiphon maintains its research and development lab and computer network "red team" at The Citizen Lab, Munk Centre for International Studies, University of Toronto.

Censorship Research Reports

There are many research papers available from the ONI that show just how pervasive internet censorship is in a certain country or region. The topics covered in these papers include not only the software or solutions instituted by the said parties to censor the Internet, but also what kind of content is blocked (political, pornographic, or other).^[2]

Books

The ONI published its first book, ACCESS DENIED—The Practice and Politics of Internet Filtering, through MIT Press in 2008.^[3]

A second ONI volume, ACCESS CONTROLLED—The Shaping of Power, Rights, and Rule in Cyberspace was published by MIT press in 2010.^[4] This volume was sponsored by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media.

See also

• Crypto-anarchism
• Cypherpunk
• Freedom of information
• Free Haven Project
• Freenet
• Hacktivism
• Internet censorship
• Internet privacy
• Netsukuku
• Portable Tor
• Tor (anonymity network)
• Tor-ramdisk

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "About ONI". The OpenNet Initiative. http://opennet.net/about. Retrieved 2008-04-17. 
2. ^ "Reports". The OpenNet Initiative. http://opennet.net/reports. Retrieved 2008-04-17. 
3. ^ Access Denied—The Practice and Policy of Global Internet Filtering, Ronald J. Deibert, John G. Palfrey, Rafal Rohozinski and Jonathan Zittrain (eds.), MIT Press, February 2008, 320 pp., ISBN-13: 978-0-262-54196-1
4. ^ Access Controlled—The Shaping of Power, Rights, and Rule in Cyberspace, Ronald J. Deibert, John G. Palfrey, Rafal Rohozinski and Jonathan Zittrain (eds.), MIT Press, April 2010, 656 pp., ISBN-13: 978-0-262-51435-4

External links

• OpenNet Initiative
• Professor Ronald Deibert - Ronald Deibert
• Professor John Palfrey - John Palfrey
• Rafal Rohozinski - Rafal Rohozinski
• Jonathan Zittrain - Jonathan Zittrain
• Wanabehuman on OpenNet Initiative conference May 2007