[LINK] European Internet Will Not Stop Eavesdropping

[Roger Clarke]

On 18/02/2014, at 7:59 AM, Tom Worthington wrote:
>  I was interviewed on ABC News Radio Monday morning, about reports of the
>  German Chancellor's proposal for a European Internet to stop US
>  eavesdropping: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26210053

I pondered the idea of "a European Internet".

I felt that it needs translating from politician-speak.

I *think* what Angela Merkel would mean if someone talked it through 
with her is that she's floating the idea of what we call CSPs 
offering a service that is guaranteed to route traffic only within 
Europe and to not route it in any manner which could result in 
traffic using that service being exposed outside Europe.

I've never done my homework on backbones, BGP, etc., but my 
impression is that it would be feasible to commit to ensuring that (a 
sub-set of) IP-addresses were allocated only to processes that ran in 
devices that were 'in Europe', and constraints were placed on routing 
tables.  If so, then the objective could be achieved (with 
qualifications, e.g. how is 'in Europe' operationally defined?).

The question of extra-territorial reach of national law, in 
particular (but not exclusively) of the US PATRIOT and FISAA laws, is 
a separate matter.  The solution to that is simple and obvious, but 
would of course lead to nasty trade wars between the US and Europe.

-- 
Roger Clarke                                 http://www.rogerclarke.com/

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Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Law            University of N.S.W.
Visiting Professor in Computer Science    Australian National University