Title :
Protecting free expression online with Freenet
Author :
Clarke, Ian ; Miller, Scott G. ; Hong, Theodore W. ; Sandberg, Oskar ; Wiley, Brandon
Abstract :
Freenet is a distributed information storage system designed to address information privacy and survivability concerns. Freenet operates as a self-organizing P2P network that pools unused disk space across potentially hundreds of thousands of desktop computers to create a collaborative virtual file system. Freenet employs a completely decentralized architecture. Given that the P2P environment is inherently untrustworthy and unreliable, we must assume that participants could operate maliciously or fail without warning at any time. Therefore, Freenet implements strategies to protect data integrity and prevent privacy leaks in the former instance, and provide for graceful degradation and redundant data availability in the latter. The system is also designed to adapt to usage patterns, automatically replicating and deleting files to make the most effective use of available storage in response to demand
Keywords :
Internet; data integrity; data privacy; information storage; Freenet; collaborative virtual file system; data integrity; decentralized P2P architecture; decentralized architecture; desktop computers; distributed information storage system; graceful degradation; information privacy; network robustness; privacy leaks; redundant data availability; secure global information storage system; self-organizing P2P network; survivability concerns; uncensorable information storage system; unused disk space; usage patterns; Computer networks; IP networks; Material storage; Monitoring; Peer to peer computing; Privacy; Protection; Terrorism; Web and internet services; World Wide Web;
Journal_Title :
Internet Computing, IEEE
DOI :
10.1109/4236.978368
