[Olpc-open] [possible improvement]built-in identity module

[Jonah Bossewitch]

> some sort of uniq identification mechanism should be in ROM chip that
> can be verified from network. but again some short of solution could
> cost much...... creating a cheap and tamper proof hardware for that
> purpose whould be a innovation on its own

I have to strenuously object to this "feature" - implementing such an 
identification system would turn the laptops into the instruments for an 
international id program.

People should have the freedom to remain anonymous.  The right to 
read/speak anonymity is the keystone supporting personal privacy, which 
ought to be a basic civil and human right.

For all the reasons that people are concerned about this (e.g. 
(http://www.epic.org/privacy/id_cards/), OLPC should seriously consider 
shipping with tools that support anonymous network activity. Tools like 
Tor (tor.eff.org) and freenet.

For more on the relationship between anonymity and free speech, see:

http://tor.eff.org/overview.html.en

"Ongoing trends in law, policy, and technology threaten anonymity as 
never before, undermining our ability to speak and read freely online. 
These trends also undermine national security and critical 
infrastructure by making communication among individuals, organizations, 
corporations, and governments more vulnerable to analysis. Each new user 
and server provides additional diversity, enhancing Tor's ability to put 
control over your security and privacy back into your hands."

and <http://tor.eff.org/overview.html.en>

http://freenetproject.org/philosophy.html

"You cannot have freedom of speech without the option to remain 
anonymous. Most censorship is retrospective, it is generally much easier 
to curtail free speech by punishing those who exercise it afterward, 
rather than preventing them from doing it in the first place. The only 
way to prevent this is to remain anonymous."

/jsb