[ga] Bridging the Gap: Why privacy and security are so important XXV - Schools, Filtering Companies Blocking Google SSL

["Jeffrey A. Williams" <jwkckid1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

All,

  Again it seems that a disconnect between nations policies and
Googles business practices has taken another bite out of Googles
backside, and perhaps rightly so.

See:
In the UK writes "Over the past several weeks we've
discussed the 
http://tech.slashdot.org/story/10/05/25/1552256/Google-Rolls-Out-Encrypted-Web-Search-Option
rolling out of Google SSL search. Now an obstacle to the
rollout has arisen, much to the frustration of school students and
teachers alike. Content filter vendors have decided to 
http://www.swgfl.org.uk/Services/Content/News-Articles/googleSSL
block all Google SSL traffic which also blocks access to Google Apps for
Education. Google is 
http://googleenterprise.blogspot.com/2010/06/update-on-encrypted-web-search-in.html
working to appease these vendors. The questions at the heart of this 
situation are: Does a company (school, government) have a right to 
restrict SSL traffic so it can snoop your data, or does an individual 
have a right to encrypted Internet facilities? And, is the search data 
you create your data, or is it your employer's (school's)? IANAL but 
blocking SSL search seems at odds with the UK Data Protection
Act, because some 
http://www.six.somerset.gov.uk/sixv3/content_view.asp?did=23867
local 
http://wisenet.wiltshire.gov.uk/documents/dsweb/GetRendition/Document-9966/html
governments here may be using the very same filtering service for their 
employees. 
It would also seem to go against the spirit of FIPS in the US (though we 
appreciate 
that federal standards are separate from schools in the States).

Regards,

Jeffrey A. Williams
Spokesman for INEGroup LLA. - (Over 300+k members/stakeholders and growing, 
strong!)
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