Comment Articles

Freedom versus safety on the global stage

Rupert Goodwins ZDNet.co.uk

Published: 03 Jul 2002 15:37 BST

By now, you'll probably have read the first round of reaction to Microsoft's proposed Palladium, the system that makes absolutely sure that only authorised data and software can live on your computer. There's not been much technical information published, probably because Microsoft is waiting to see what people make of the idea before it commits itself to anything solid. And the people have been suspicious, verging on paranoid. For some reason, the idea that Microsoft should be trusted as the arbiter of all aspects of computing, with the power of life and death over data and programs, has not been greeted as the dawning of a new golden age.

Such reactions are to be expected, and they will neither surprise nor concern Microsoft. All this doesn't matter. It doesn't matter what you or I think about the idea of a global network of centrally controlled software and data that requires us to be authorised before we can use it. Other opinions do matter and this is where Palladium will either fail or succeed.

Let's say I'm the government of a reasonably prosperous, developed and democratic country. I am aware of the need for IT in my machineries of state and, of course, of the implications for law. There is a balance between the powers of the state and the rights of the people, and IT reflects this.

Suddenly, I have to decide whether to adopt Secure Windows -- or whatever the Palladium product turns out to be called. Do I trust Microsoft with immediate and absolute control of my computing? If it's not going to be Microsoft, then who? Do I want to assume the responsibilities myself, assuming its possible? State control of commercial enterprises is somewhat out of fashion these days, and with good reason. In any case, whoever controls the gates of Palladium controls whoever uses it: without a doubt, this is a disproportionate imbalance of power.