|
Stay on guard: UN control of the Internet under debate
We disagree on a lot here. But I think there's one thing that we all should be able to agree on. UN control over the internet is a bad idea. In the UN's own Human Rights charter, they have this wonderful line: "rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations." Who wants to bet that it would work its way into internet regulation?
Say what you will about the current form of governance, but it's the only way we'll keep the truly free speech we have now. In our current system, government is essentially kept out of regulation. Where government is involved, it's the US government, which is massively constrained by the 1st Amendment. (Also note who is the strongest supporter of the plan: China and Cuba!!)
-----------------
Fight for control of the Net erupts at U.N.
Dec. 6, 2003
LONDON (Reuters) - A controversial plan to grant governments broad controls over the Internet has stolen the spotlight of a United Nations conference on IT next week, where China and Cuba will be among its strongest supporters.
Leaders from nearly 200 countries will convene in Geneva for the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) on December 10-12, an inaugural conference with lofty goals to discuss bridging the digital divide and fostering press freedoms.
But a contentious political move to grant an international governing body such as the U.N.'s International Telecommunication Union (ITU) control over Internet governance issues -- from distributing Web site domains to the public to fighting spam -- has all but obscured the more virtuous aspects of the event.
Incubated in a geeky part of the U.S. Department of Defense decades ago, the Internet has become a thriving global marketplace since being fully turned over to the private business community in the early 1990s.
But many in the developing world believe a new approach is needed as the medium enters its teen years, one that will see poorer countries harness new technologies to improve their competitive stance.
ATTACKING STATUS QUO
The most recognisable Internet governance body is a California-based non-profit company, the International Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). Under the new plan, it has the most to lose.
Incorporated in 1998, ICANN oversees management of the Internet's crucial addressing system which matches numerical addresses to familiar Web site addresses such as www.google.com.
While ICANN's oversight has been confined to the decidedly technical matters behind doling out domain names and establishing a domain name dispute resolution system, the group has been criticised roundly for adopting a pro-business approach that neglects the developing world.
The ITU, a 138-year-old trade body that among other things established country code rules for international telephone dialling, has been put forth by the developing world as the governing body that will best address its needs.
"What we are looking at is the future management of the Internet. It's not about who owns it or who will be regulating the laws, but what is best way to manage what has become a natural resource for all of humanity," a summit official said.
But U.N. officials have distanced themselves from some of the more radical suggestions put forth by member states who would like to see planet-spanning controls on content and taxes.
Still, proponents of the status quo are concerned that tinkering with the Internet now could stifle the medium's commercial potential.
"We do see a role for governments, as is recognised in ICANN's structure. However, we are concerned with any efforts to increase governmental involvement at the expense of private sector leadership," Theresa Swinehart, Counsel for International Legal Affairs for ICANN, told Reuters.
So far, a change in leadership has been bogged down by fractious discussion with a definitive resolution not expected until 2005 when the second WSIS summit is held in Tunisia.
But many believe the new guard has already arrived.
"We are seeing a clear shift from the mid-90s when governments were told to stay away," said Michael Geist, a law professor at University of Ottawa who specialises in Internet governance issues.
"Governments have shown they are very interested in getting involved on a domestic level and now they are looking at the international level."
|
