[libreplanet-discuss] Ethical non-DRM uses of EME

[Andrew Roffey]

Despite the serious implications that are sure to follow EME if it is
implemented by web browsers, I have been thinking of possible non-DRM
use cases of EME that might be useful to the free software community.

A Firefox Sync-type of system is what I thought of initially. Firefox
Sync uses Mozilla's network servers to host an encrypted copy of the
bookmarks and settings of any user that has opted to use that service.
Although there are a few minor privacy implications (Mozilla might be
able to see when a user is online) and the possibility that Mozilla
could disable an account relatively easy, Firefox Sync does offer
convenience with a lower risk than many other similar network services.

(More info on exactly how FF Sync encryption works can be found at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefox_Sync)

With the help of  EME, the combination of a libre plugin and libre
JavaScript could work similarly to Firefox Sync, but for other
non-bookmark uses. For example, a file upload service could use EME to
allow a user to optionally use a libre plugin installed by the user to
encrypt the contents of uploaded files. Then when the user downloads
those files again (encrypted), EME could be used to help a plugin
decrypt those files within the browser.

Technically, this may already be possible without EME. I haven't
explored EME in any significant detail, so maybe I'm entirely wrong and
it wouldn't be useful at all. However, I'm aware that EME does help with
key exchange on the browser-level, and provides a standard API for
dealing with encrypted content. It could also make it easier to handle
support multiple cryptosystems (or the lack of one).

(More info on EME can be found at
https://dvcs.w3.org/hg/html-media/raw-file/tip/encrypted-media/encrypted-media.html)

Could EME really be useful, at all? Any feedback, comments, discussion,
corrections, criticism and opinions are welcome. :-)

Andrew.