This is an update to yesterday’s article, which analysed the draft CleanIT document published and opened for comment by the OpenCleanIT platform.

Another draft of the CleanIT document has been published (version 0.77 dated October 30, whereas the previously discussed document was version 0.762, dated October 24). It seems as if the version published on the OpenCleanIT platform was severely shortened. A quick overview of the new document reveals that some ideas which where left out in the discussed draft are in fact still in there.

There still is a “best practice” chapter on filtering. Like the paragraph on filters in the slightly older draft, it does however suggest that filters are in the end-users hand. The statement that such filters should not be on an infrastructure level is in fact there. But it is mentioned only in the “explanation”, not in the description of the best practice itself. Also, it is weakened in the next sentence by stating that “[n]evertheless, at a parental / end-user level individuals should not be limited in their possibilities [to filter their network access]”, which might be interpreted as a loophole for infrastructural filters should enough concerned and computer-illiterate parents call for them. Given the importance of this aspect, this won’t be seen as an appropriate distancing from infrastructural filters. After all, negative civil rights (that is, rights that protect against action from the state) are meant to be just that, a limitation of possibilities of action. They cannot be weighed up against the comfort of less parenting work through not having to install filtering software yourself.

Overall the number of “best practices” points is still about the same as in the last draft, added importance to the education/awareness approach is probably not given. Also, ideas like the “browser button” are still in there, including naive discussion points about if this can be done with open source software. Thus, the list of points for criticism is still longer than the draft on the OpenCleanIT page would suggest.

As to why the OpenCleanIT comment platform does not feature the most current draft and the text which they did publish was severely shortened one can only speculate. Most definitely it can be interpreted as the project not taking its commitment to transparency seriously.

Featured Image CC-BY-NC Ian Britton

About Paul Wardenga

I am a political science grad student at the University of Cologne with my interest focused on issues of European integration and EU politics. I’m trying to channel my activities within the Pirates accordingly, hence topics related to these issues will make up a large part of my work for the Pirate Times as well.

 

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This is an update to yesterday’s article, which analysed the draft CleanIT document published and opened for comment by the OpenCleanIT platform. Another draft of the CleanIT document has been…