Architecture for Implementing Content Labeling and Filtering with Mobile Internet

1
Architecture for Implementing Content Labeling
and Filtering with Mobile Internet

• Akio Kokubu
• Internet Association, Japan
• May 18, 2004

2
Internet Population in Japan

• Subscribers of mobile phones with the Internet
  access are dominant.

Source New Media Development Association

2003/2
3
Arrests Made for Cases Related to "Dating Sites"
in 2003
National Police Agency February 5, 2004
4
Filtering with Fixed Internet

• What filtering is
• Provides block capability of content on the
  Internet for minors
• Filtering with labels (by content providers or by
  the 3rd party)
• Filtering with keywords
• Filtering software
• PC-type (e.g. ICRA filter, Internet Explorer)
• Server-type (e.g. SFS3, commercial products)
• Who makes settings or controls filtering systems
• PC owners (e.g. parents)
• Server administrators (e.g. school teachers)
• ISPs (in their business)
• Governments?

5
Why we work on filtering

• Free speech or regulation?
• In principle we do not like regulation. But we
  have the social responsibility.
• Balance between free and regulation is important.
• User-oriented filtering is a tool to go together.
  (Thanks to WWW1996 Paris!)
• What we did before on filtering
• Development of a PC-type and a server-type
  filtering software compliant with PICS
• Operation of PICS compliant label bureau with
  semi-automatic third-party rating tools for text
  and images on web pages
• Development of a demo filtering system with a
  mobile phone

6
Filtering possibility with mobile phones
Internet

SFS3
Web Pages
Children
ISPs
SFS3
Schools
SFS3
Home PCs
SFS3

Internet
Mobile Phones
SFS3
SFS3 Server-type Filtering System V3
7
Demo Implementation with mobile phones
SFS A Proxy-type Filtering System with PICS LB
PICS based Label Bureau
Web pages
SFS
Demo browser implemented with i-appli
LB
7
8
Blocked Page
Index Page
Screen when content is blocked Filtering
software informs that the user the inappropriate
site has been blocked and that it cannot be
displayed.
Demo site menu Inappropriate sites are marked
with stars.
9
Introduction to the SFS browser
Loose
Strict
Download
SFS Browser
http//rf.iajapan.org8141/i/ib.html
Mobile phones became very useful after they were
connected to the Internet. There is a possibility
that children could look at harmful content with
mobile phones.
Parents can download a suitable SFS browser
(i-appli written in Java) into childrens mobile
phones.
The SFS browser filters harmful content via the
mobile SFS.
The SFS browser was developed for demonstration
to filter harmful content with mobile phones.
10
Mobile filtering R D Project
Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs,
Posts and Telecommunications
From May, 2004 for two fiscal years
Contracting out (funding)
Filtering Service Providers
Mobile Phone Operators NTT DoCoMo, KDDI, Vodafone
(under request)
Cooperation
Cooperation
Academia Keio
The Internet Association, Japan Contribution to
the PICS2 Mobile filtering architecture Research
on labeling of content
Notes 1. Three major mobile carriers will
cooperate in the project. 2.
Academia participants include Prof. Nobuo Saito,
the Associate Chair of W3C, and
Prof. Kazuhiro Kitagawa of Keio University.
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Overview of Mobile Filtering Systems
Web Server
Content Information Service Server
Delivery
Web Content
Black List
Collection
Filtering
Labeling
Content Information
Filtering
Packet Network
The Internet
Filtering
Web Server
Gateway Server
Mobile Terminal
Filtering Proxy Server
Filtering Service Provider and/or ISP
Content Provider
Mobile Phone Operator
Parents
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Implementation of filtering function

• At Mobile Phones

Gateway Server of Mobile Phone operators
Official Sites of Mobile Phone Operators
Internet Sites
Filtering Function Label Information
Merit - Filtering setting is convenient
for parents. - Additional
communication cost is not necessary. Demerit
- Resource at terminals is consumed to store
label lists.
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Implementation for filtering function

• At Gateway Servers of Mobile Phone Operators

Official Sites of Mobile Phone Operators
Gateway Server of Mobile Phone Operators
Internet Sites
Filtering Function Label Information
Merit - Resource at terminals is not
consumed. Demerit - Scalability for a huge
access traffic is needed. - Systems of
mobile phone operators have to be changed.
- Choice of label information might not be
possible.
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Implementation for filtering function

• At Filtering Proxy Server on the Internet

Official Sites of Mobile Phone Operators
Gateway Server of Mobile Phone Operators
Filtering Proxy Server
Internet Sites
Filtering Function Label Information
Merit - Resource at terminals is not
consumed. - Parents can choose label
information. Demerit - Scalability for a huge
access traffic is needed. -
Authentication of users is necessary to impose
charges. - It is not possible to access
to Internet sites dedicated for mobiles.
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Labeling and filtering of content for mobile
phones

• Web content for mobile phones
• Mainly character information rather than images
  at present
• Messages on bulletin boards of dating sites use
  special words (jargon).
• Methods that will identify harmful web sites
  shall be developed.
• What intention in content of dating sites
• The most important factor for filtering
• Understanding of context is necessary.
• Difficult to understand such intention.
• Human can understand context. But software can
  not do it.
• We hope the PICS based on XML/RDF helps to solve
  the problem.

16
Thank you.

• For further questions, please e-mail to
• Kokubu_at_iajapan.org