Re: Feedback Request – Embedded Child Protection Solution for Telcos (Academic Research)

[Jimi Thompson via NANOG <nanog () lists nanog org>]

I don't chime in often, but the Telegraph app was used recently by a
government to trick, trap, and then murder a widely popular dissident using
something very similar to what you are proposing.   At least here in the
USA, telcos already hand over all your records to any agency that asks with
nothing more than a sticky note.

You see what good you can do without seeing what harm will arise from the
misuse.  Your scheme amounts to giving the telcos full access to every byte
of data that flows across their network.  Every group, from organized crime
to unpopular regimes, will want that data.  It will be misused to prop up
oppressive regimes.  It will be misused to suppress dissenters.  Pedophiles
will use it to locate the very children you are seeking to protect.  It
will be used to find those who dare to speak out so that they can be
silenced.  It will be used to harass and murder.  Until you have been
subjected to this, until you are the one who is being hunted, I doubt
you'll ever understand.

Let me tell you a story.  We built an ATM network that utilized both
thumbprints and PINs for withdrawals.  In the country where it was to be
installed, beating people up and forcing them to give their PIN code was a
common practice.  We had hoped that by tying this to a thumbprint, we'd
stop some of the violence.  Reasonable, sane, meant to be kind, all the
same good things I see from you.  Keep reading my cautionary tale. The
short story is that it didn't help at all.  It made things worse because
instead of just a beating, people ended up getting their thumbs cut off.
We promptly ripped the whole thing out.  At least we had the option to
remove it.  Once you deploy what you're talking about, there is no going
back.

On Tue, Jun 24, 2025 at 7:03 PM evabouchard38--- via NANOG <
nanog () lists nanog org> wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I'm part of a postgraduate team at Dublin City University working with
> Chirp, a startup developing real-time, embedded child-protection software
> for telecom operators. The solution analyzes data traffic on children’s
> devices to block harmful content and alert parents to risks such as
> grooming, cyberbullying, or self-harm — all while respecting privacy and
> working natively within telco infrastructure.
>
> As part of our MSc practicum, we’re seeking feedback from telecom and
> network professionals on the commercial, technical, and regulatory
> feasibility of such an approach.
>
> Would you be open to completing a short, 10-minute questionnaire?
>
> 🔗 https://dcusurveys.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8oBhWiZMRrUh1zM
>
> We’d be very grateful for your insights. Happy to follow up with more
> technical or contextual details if helpful.
>
> Thanks in advance for your time!
>
> Best regards,
> Eva Bouchard
> _______________________________________________
> NANOG mailing list
>
> https://lists.nanog.org/archives/list/nanog () lists nanog org/message/5PIWG4IPNMNO3US4EB2672K4SEGOTPK3/



-- 
Thanks,

Jimi
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