From an editorial in the Cayman Net News:
According to a press release last week, the Information and Communications Technology Authority (ICTA) has launched a public consultation on the use of so-called “deep packet inspection” (DPI) of internet data, including emails, web pages and internet telephony applications.
[…]
The ICTA gives some examples of how ISPs can use DPI, including building consumer profiles; intercepting communications at the request of law enforcement; restricting user access to certain sites or types of information; and enforcing copyright laws.
Some examples of the benefits to consumers and the telecommunications industry are given but, frankly, they seem to be weighted heavily in favour of the latter rather than the former.
[…]
The other two issues raised by the ICTA in relation to DPI are the matter of personal privacy and so-called “network neutrality”.
The privacy issue should be self-evident – are internet users willing to surrender to an ISP the ability to inspect their web-surfing history, for example, for the purposes of building an individual consumer profile, or accessing the contents of their private email correspondence? We would hope that the answer to this question would be a resounding no.
Read more of the editorial in Cayman Net News.