Glossary of Platform Law and Policy Terms

Open Standard

Author: Vittorio Bertola An open standard is a standard that is developed through open processes and can be used and implemented by every interested party under non-discriminating conditions, and if possible for free. Different standardization organizations adopt different definitions for the term, which generally agree about the fact that the standard must have been developed… Continue reading Open Standard

Published
Categorized as Entries

Open Identity

Author: Vittorio Bertola An online identity is a collection of personal information about a person, associated with credentials that allow the owner of the identity to control the information and to assert their identity towards other parties over the Internet. The identity may represent an actual person (real-world identity), a fictitious person (pseudonymous identity), or an unknown… Continue reading Open Identity

Published
Categorized as Entries

Interoperability

Authors: Vittorio Bertola and Nicolo Zingales Interoperability is the ability to transfer and render useful data and other information across systems, applications, or components. The combination of transmission and analysis involves several layers of the so-called Open Systems Interconnection model (OSI model), requiring the achievement of various levels of interoperability. At a minimum, one should… Continue reading Interoperability

Published
Categorized as Entries

Filter

Author: Vittorio Bertola This entry (i) introduces the concept and classification of Internet filters, (ii) provides a more detailed (but very general) analysis of network filters, and (iii) provides a similar analysis of endpoint filters. (i) An introduction to Internet filters An Internet (content) filter is a piece of software (and, sometimes, of specialized hardware)… Continue reading Filter

Published
Categorized as Entries

Data Portability

Authors: Vittorio Bertola, Nicolo Zingales and Luca Belli The current debate on (data) portability finds its predecessor in the discussions on Mobile Number Portability (MNP), which emerged towards the end of the 1990s. MNP requires that, when switching from one provider to another, mobile telephone users must be able to keep their telephone number(s). The world’s… Continue reading Data Portability

Published
Categorized as Entries