In a number of different settings, interactions between clients and servers involve information that could be sensitive when associated with client identity.

Client-server protocols like HTTP reveal aspects of client identity to servers through these interactions, especially source addresses. Even without client identity, a server might be able to build a profile of client activity by correlating requests from the same client over time.

In a setting where the information included in requests does not need to be correlated, the Oblivious HTTP protocol allows a server to accept requests via a proxy. The proxy ensures that the server cannot see source addressing information for clients, which prevents servers linking requests to the same client. Encryption ensures that the proxy is unable to read requests or responses.

The OHTTP working group will define the Oblivious HTTP protocol, a method of encapsulating HTTP requests and responses that provides protected, low-latency exchanges. The working group will define any encryption scheme necessary and supporting data formats for carrying encapsulated requests and responses, plus any key configuration that might be needed to use the protocol.

The OHTTP working group will include an applicability statement that documents the limitations of this design and any usage constraints that are necessary to ensure that the protocol is secure.

The working group will define a format for any encryption keys that are needed. The working group will not describe how encryption keys are obtained. The working group will not define any methods for discovering proxy or server endpoints; specific uses of the protocol will need to describe discovery methods or rely on configuration.

The OHTTP working group will work closely with other groups that develop the tools that OHTTP depends on (HTTPbis for HTTP, CFRG for HPKE) or that might use Oblivious HTTP (DPRIVE for DNS over HTTPS).

The working group will use draft-thomson-http-oblivious as input.