Rachel O’Connell
At a launch event held in London on Tuesday June 24th, the world’s first global private network of personal and business clouds, which is called the Respect Network, outlined its mission. Its purpose is to enable Internet users, anywhere in the world, to share their data, including sensitive private data, over trusted private connections, just as easily as they can share data publicly on social networks like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ today.
Centralised social networking platforms like Facebook and others make their money through advertising and data brokering, so they need to learn as much about their customers as possible. This involves the unlimited collection, storage and subsequent disclosure of Internet users’ personal data to third parties. The critical difference between the Respect Network and other social networks is its revolutionary ‘Privacy by Design’ approach that recognises Internet users’ right to be in control of the use of their personal data. The expectation is that in the very near future, the use of personal clouds by Internet users will become mainstream which will reduce the reliance on centralised social networks. Moreover, by moving from centralised social networks to personal clouds connected to the Respect Network, Internet users will gain greater control over their privacy and personal data
The keynote speaker was Doc Searls, author of The Intention Economy, a manifesto that outlines how customers will be emancipated from centralised social networks like Facebook. He gave a thought-provoking synopsis of the principles underpinning this emerging Intention Economy, which will be enabled by initiatives like the Respect Network. He also spoke about how the existing business models that support online advertising will need to adapt to the availability and adoption by Internet users of tools, which he described as Vendor Relationship Management (VRM) tools. Using these VRM tools an Internet user will be able to notify a number of vendors of their intent to purchase a product and companies will respond to the actual expressed intentions of customers. This approach may prove more effective and profitable on the wider web and particularly so on the Respect Network where there will be no unauthorised advertising or data brokering.
What is the commercial model that will support the Respect Network?
Drummond Reed, Respect Network co-Founder and CEO spoke about how the Respect Network is being built as a distributed network of personal clouds that are supported by a robust legal and policy-based Trust Framework and what is anticipated to be a viable commercial model. The Respect Network will be supported directly by members through membership and usage fees. He drew parallels with another global trusted exchange network, banking, credit cards and ATMs and spoke about the fee structures that sustain the network. The parties involved in the Respect Network’s trusted exchange network include, for example, the Cloud Service Provider, Internet users, developers, trust brokers and the businesses that rely on the relationships a user chooses to establish.
Ctrl_shift, a market analyst consultancy, presented the findings of a study they conducted into the size of the opportunity associated with this emerging market in personal data and life management services. By Ctrl_Shift estimates, the total potential size of the UK market could be £11.5bn.
Speaking about market developments at the Respect Network launch in London, Ctrl-Shift CEO Liz Brandt stressed that organisations wanting to stay on top of this market, and take advantage of the opportunities its presents, need to start preparing now. “It takes time to make sense of what a new market means to business, what options it can explore, and how best to seize the opportunities. Brands that wait too long risk losing the initiative and being left behind.”
A new zeitgeist of respect for internet users and their capacity for informational self-determination
The Respect Network is at the vanguard of a new zeitgeist that rejects the nexus between powerful technology companies, data brokers and advertisers, that results in Internet users’ personal data being regarded as a product and customers privacy being treated with little regard. In this new new zeitgeist an important role for businesses will be to behave as responsible co-participants in online interactions. It also recognises internet users right to and capacity to self-determine, when, where and in what circumstances they wish to share personal data with third parties.
At the launch event, there was a palpable sense of excitement about the approach and ethos of the Respect Network. This was justified further by the fact that the Respect Network has gathered 70 companies and open source projects from around the globe that share its commitment to personal control over personal data. As an attendee, it was an inspiring experience to sit in a room with technologists and business development experts discussing new and emerging business models that treat customers’ privacy with respect and where the benefits to all members accrue in an equitable manner.
Hackathon and XDI protocol
The launch event also featured a hackathon, during which developers worked collaboratively with the new XDI protocol that enables most of the technical ‘Privacy By Design’ features in the Respect Network.
XDI has been under development by the OASIS XDI Technical Committee for approximately ten years. One aspect of XDI is that it addresses the need for a ‘Cloud Name System’- a directory system for Cloud applications in the same way DNS (Domain Name System) works for the web and email. XDI enables unique and permanent identifiers (e.g. =racheloconnell) for entities including but not limited to people, in the same way that website URLs and email addresses do for websites and communications. On the Respect Network, every member owns his/her own private cloud and cloud name (=name) that is completely portable and not dependent on any single Cloud Service Provider (CSP).
Since all data on the Respect Network is network-addressable, members can control their digital identity and relationships, reduce information sprawl and even create “the right to be forgotten” in this community. These capabilities are not expected to have a negative impact on the digital economy – on the contrary, it is expected to act as a catalyst for innovation and new business models whilst radically re-shaping discussions about privacy.
Other speakers at the event
There were a fascinating line up of speakers at the event and I urge readers to check out the array of products and services that were showcased.
meeco.me, is a life management dashboard for a more private life.
PAOGA’s cloud software ensures privacy and confidentiality for differnet categories of personal data, by keeping each in individual, secure, uniquely encrypted digital ‘Safe Deposit Boxes’ – all in one place
SocialSafe – enables internet users to reclaim ownership control & use of personal data placed on existing social networking sites.
Digital Animal presented ideas about how to offer Internet users the opportunity to gain control of and elicit value from their interactions with brands.
CosyCloud is a cloud service provider that will enable users to federate all of their connected devices around their data.
Synergies with the emerging interoperable identity layer and crypto-currencies
Over lunch and during the coffee breaks discussions were taking place about a number of topics of which the following provides a snapshot:
- Synergies between the Respect Network and, for example, initiatives in electronic and mobile ID and the scope to further enhance the security, convenience and trust on the Respect network
- Potential points of convergence between the Respect Network and crypto-currencies as well as new and emerging mobile payment methods
- Scenarios involving Internet users interacting with data from wearable technologies, connected appliances, cars and other connected things, via personal clouds on the Respect Network
In summary: What are the key points that differentiate the Respect Network from other networks?
- Decentralised. All the major social networks are centralised databases run by a single company that has access to all the data and set all the terms. On the Respect Network, all private data resides in the member’s own personal and business clouds hosted by their choice of cloud service provider (CSP) anywhere in the world. All sharing is over direct peer-to-peer connections – there is no middleman
- Mutual trust framework. On centralised social networks, all members must agree to Terms-of-Service from a single company that can change at any time. On the Respect Network it is the exact opposite; all members agree to the Respect Trust Framework, the ground breaking legal contract for mutual privacy assurance that won the Privacy Award at the 2011 European Identity Conference
- Member-supported business model as described above needs to be fully operational before it can be properly evaluated
- The XDI protocol the potential of which is yet to be fully realised but which seems set to have a significant impact on many aspects of how we interact online
Call to action
The Respect Network is engaging in a series of awareness raising events around the world- the first of which is took place in London yesterday. Why not register to attend?! . Respect Network’s goal is to sign up a million consumer members “to change the future of privacy and personal freedom online”. If you would like to #TakeBackControl of both your privacy and personal data, get involved by joining https://www.respectnetwork.com/
Who are the personal cloud providers in the Respect Network?
The Respect Network is definitely an initiative to watch and it certainly has the potential to challenge Facebook and other social networking platforms. It also serves as a catalyst for a much needed broadening of discussions about privacy to include informational self-determination and new business models that will radically alter the next era of the internet.
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