Question:

In what ways does OONI Probe safeguard user confidentiality during its network monitoring activities?

Answer:

OONI Probe is a tool designed for investigating internet censorship, but it’s important to note that it is not a privacy tool. This means that while it is powerful for detecting network interference, it does not hide the fact that you are using it from potential eavesdroppers like governments, ISPs, or employers.

However, the developers of OONI Probe are committed to user safety and have implemented several measures to protect user privacy:

: Data collected by OONI Probe is strictly limited to what is necessary for examining and characterizing networks, particularly to identify internet censorship and other forms of network interference.

2.

User Safety

: While OONI Probe is not a privacy tool, the team behind it prioritizes the well-being of its users. They aim to minimize the collection of personally identifiable information and design their tests with user safety in mind.

3.

User Control

: Users have control over what they test with OONI Probe and can opt out of different types of data collection and publication. This allows users to tailor their use of the tool according to their personal threat model and comfort level.

4.

Open By Default

: In the interest of transparency, all measurements collected by OONI Probe are automatically published as open data. The infrastructure and software are open source, allowing for third-party verification of the data practices.

5.

Accessible and Usable Data

: OONI publishes all measurements in a machine-readable format, making it easier for researchers, data scientists, and the general public to access, use, and integrate the data into other systems.

6.

Public Archive

: OONI maintains a public archive of all measurements to enable current and future generations to learn about internet censorship through longitudinal data.

In summary, OONI Probe takes a multifaceted approach to protect user privacy, focusing on purpose limitation, user safety, control, transparency, accessibility of data, and maintaining a public archive. These measures ensure that while users can contribute to the important task of monitoring internet censorship, they can also manage their privacy risks when using the tool.