RFC 8890 – The Internet is for End Users (2020)
4 hours ago
- RFC 8890 argues that IETF decisions should prioritize end users over other stakeholders.
- The IETF has implicit political impact despite focusing on technical details, as protocol designs can empower or disempower different groups.
- Examples like DNS-over-HTTPS and Encrypted Client Hello show how IETF decisions have real-world political and social consequences.
- The IETF should explicitly acknowledge its soft power and consult broader stakeholders, including policymakers and end users.
- Principles like the end-to-end principle and RFC 7258 guide IETF decisions, but more work is needed to embed end-user focus.
- The IETF is accountable to the Internet’s health and legitimacy, not to any single government or corporation.
- Technologists must engage with non-technical perspectives to ensure protocols benefit end users globally, avoiding fragmentation.