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P R E S S R E L E A S E
ANONYMIZER, INC. 30/01/98
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ARCHIVE: https://www.anonymizerproxy.com/press
CONTACT: Mark Hedges Anonymizer, Inc.
(619) 667-7969 (ph) Infonex Internet, Inc.
(619) 667-7966 (fx) 8415 La Mesa Blvd. Suite 3
hedges@anonymizer.com La Mesa, CA 91941, USA
COTTRELL TO ATTEND OECD INTERNATIONAL NETWORK SECURITY CONFERENCE LA MESA, CA - Every aspect of the forthcoming information world necessitates security of data and identity. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development invited Lance Cottrell, CEO of Anonymizer, Inc. to present to them technologies which ensure anonymity on the Internet. On 16 February, Cottrell will attend the two day OECD conference on Privacy Protection and International Networks in Paris. Chaired by Helen McDonald, Director General, Information Policy and Planning Branch, Industry Canada, the conference will discuss policy implementation and technological solutions to privacy problems on the Internet. Invitees include representatives from some of OECD's 29 member nations, in addition to privacy advocates and executives from several international network corporations. Sessions focus on private sector needs, technological solutions, industry standards of conduct, and the "jurisdictional swamp" of global networks. Lord Williams of Mostyn, Parliamentary Undersecretary of State, U.K. Home Office, and M. Ronald Dumas, President of the French Constitutional Council will give keynote speeches. "I am very pleased to be asked to speak at this conference," said Cottrell. "People in government are largly unaware of the privacy implications of the global information infrastructure, and the technologies which already exist within it to protect privacy. My goal at this conference is to show how to protect the public's privacy and security without resorting to opressive, invasive information control laws. Technology, not regulation, is the message I want to send." Cottrell's presentation of the Anonymizer suite of anonymity tools will take place at the end of the session about technological solutions to personal privacy problems. Other speakers include representatives of the U.S. Council for International Business, the World-Wide Web Consortium, the European Commission, and DigiCash, Inc. This session, chaired by Prof. Roger Needham, Pro- Vice-Chancellor at Cambridge and director of the Cambridge computing laboratory, will discuss different types of privacy technology available and planned for deployment on the Internet. Following Cottrell's presentation, a panel of four representatives from government, data protection commissions, business, and consumer advocacy will react to the session. Thirty minutes of general discussion will end the first day of the conference. The OECD conference will bring together many separate viewpoints on the data privacy problem, including those which promote heavy- handed legislation to prohibit the collection, dissemination, and use of personal and private information. Cottrell, however, will stand strong for technological, and not legislative solutions to the privacy puzzle. "Political and legislative solutions only work if the privacy invaders cooperate with the laws and policies. Protecting privacy in this way requires monitoring the use and collection of information in a way which is itself very invasive. Technological solutions do not suffer from this problem. If a citizen uses software which makes it impossible to collect personal information about her, the cooperation of the would be collector of information is irrelevant. With strong privacy technology, enforcement is a moot point. We think it is far better to make abuse impossible than to try to deter and punish abuse." Policy makers must understand that legislative prohibition of the collection and use of personal information cannot be enforced. The amount of available information is too vast, and its transmission to other jurisdictions too easy for national governments or even multinational organizations to control. Also, the legislative route is extraordinarily expensive in terms of money and manpower, and itself comes with a pricetag of reduced common liberty and invasion of privacy by the governments themselves. Instead, Cottrell will propose the OECD and governments world-wide give their citizens the tools they need to protect the privacy of their personal lives. Technologies like Anonymizer Surfing and the Mixmaster anonymous remailer can be advanced and proliferated to provide a shield of anonymity to everyone on the Internet. Technological solutions guarantee user privacy on the Internet to a much higher degree than legislation. Technological solutions do not incur enormous public costs, and instead offer the option of privacy to end users at minimal expense. Technological solutions give governments the means to protect their citizens' privacy and increase government reputation, whereas unenforceable legislation would fail to provide any real protection. Anonymizer, Inc. offers technological solutions to privacy problems today, in advance of international policy and legislation. Anonymizer Surfing protects web page viewers from the prying eyes of the sites they use. Anonymizer Email implements the Mixmaster anonymous remailer in an easy-to-use web form, giving the freedom of speech enjoyed in the United States to the entire world. New services on the horizon will forever change public communication and exchange of information. About Anonymizer: Anonymizer, Inc. provides anonymity and privacy services to the Internet community. Its supporting infrastructure company, Infonex Internet, Inc. provides web publishing services and U.S. dial-up access to the Internet. 8415 La Mesa Bl. Ste. 3, La Mesa, CA 91941. 619-667-7969 (PH), 619-667-7966 (FX). Web: www.anonymizer.com. E-mail: info@anonymizer.com. |
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Copyright ©1998 Anonymizer Inc.