LawTechTalk

Baker & McKenzie Cyberspace Law and Policy Centre
at UNSW Law Faculty
invites you to a free talk

FreeNet, the 'savage PET':
Anonymous, Uncensorable Publication and the Limits of Legality

Abstract:

Our visiting professor Roger Clarke has classified privacy-enhancing technologies, 'PETs', as either 'gentle' (with built-in access for authorised surveillance) or 'savage' (without any intrinsic weakness).

FreeNet is an Internet system that has recently emerged in the latter category after a number of years development. It is an anonymous global 'peer-to-peer' publication network which is explicitly designed to thwart attempts to trace authors, publishers and readers. Each reader must also participate by hosting a publishing and caching node. This raises potential challenges for online policy: some states in the US have passed laws which threaten its legality, while on the other hand the right to anonymity, which FreeNet implements, has recently become codified in Australia's National Privacy Principles. Russell Allen introduces the technology and its implications, and outlines the issues.