UN mulls internet regulation options
WikiLeaks sparks push for tighter controls.
The United Nations is considering whether to set up an inter-governmental working group to harmonise global efforts by policy makers to regulate the internet.
Establishment of such a group has the backing of several countries, spearheaded by Brazil.
At a meeting in New York on Wednesday, representatives from Brazil called for an international body made up of Government representatives that would attempt to create global standards for policing the internet - specifically in reaction to challenges such as WikiLeaks. http://www.unmultimedia.org/tv/webcast/2010/12/special-event-2.html
The Brazilian delegate stressed, however, that this should not be seen as a call for a "takeover" of the internet.
India, South Africa, China and Saudi Arabia appeared to favour a new possible over-arching inter-government body.
However, Australia, US, UK, Belgium and Canada and attending business and community representatives argued there were risks in forming yet another working group that might isolate itself from the industry, community users and the general public.
"My concern is that if we were to make a move to form a governmental-only body then that would send a very strong signal to civil society that their valuable contribution was not required or was not being looked for," an un-named Australian representative told the meeting.
Debate on the creation of a new inter-governmental body stemmed from a UN Economic and Social Council resolution 2010/2 of 19 July.
The resolution invited the UN Secretary-General "to convene open and inclusive consultations involving all Member States and all other stakeholders with a view to assisting the process towards enhanced cooperation in order to enable Governments on an equal footing to carry out their roles and responsibilities in respect of international public policy issues pertaining to the Internet but not of the day-to-day technical and operational matters that do not impact upon those issues."
Much debate concerned the meaning of "enhanced cooperation" and whether a new inter-governmental body was required. Participants also debated the roles of existing organisations - such as the Internet Governance Forum, ICANN and the ITU. http://www.intgovforum.org/cms/
The IGF - an organisation that informs the UN but makes no decisions - is running close to the end of a five-year mandate, due to expire at the end of the year.
The likes of ISOC, ICANN and more recently the World Information Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA) have recently expressed concerns [PDF] that a working panel to decide on the future of the IGF has been limited to representatives from member-states.
"Australia is a very strong supporter of the Internet Governance Forum," the unidentified Australian UN representative said at the New York meeting this week. "That is very much due to the multi-stake-holder approach of the IGF. It is an inclusive process."
Australia's Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy said that Australian Government welcomed the resolution of the Second Committee of the United Nation General Assembly (UNGA) to extend the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) for a further five years.
The DBCDE said it would like to see the organisation retain an open and participatory membership.
"Australia has always supported the participation of civil society and the private sector in the IGF and regards their participation as being integral to the IGF's success," a spokesman told iTnews.
Copyright © iTnews.com.au . All rights reserved.
Governments shouldn’t have a monopoly on Internet governance
Friday, December 17, 2010 at 11:57 AM ET
The beauty of the Internet is that it’s not controlled by any one group. Its governance is bottoms-up—with academics, non-profits, companies and governments all working to improve this technological wonder of the modern world. This model has not only made the Internet very open—a testbed for innovation by anyone, anywhere—it's also prevented vested interests from taking control.
But last week the UN Committee on Science and Technology announced that only governments would be able to sit on a working group set up to examine improvements to the IGF—one of the Internet’s most important discussion forums. This move has been condemned by the Internet Governance Caucus, the Internet Society (ISOC), the International Chamber of Commerce and numerous other organizations—who have published a joint letter (PDF) and launched an online petition to mobilize opposition. Today, I have signed that petition on Google’s behalf because we don’t believe governments should be allowed to grant themselves a monopoly on Internet governance. The current bottoms-up, open approach works—protecting users from vested interests and enabling rapid innovation. Let’s fight to keep it that way.
Special Event: Consultations on enhanced cooperation of international public policy issues pertaining to the Internet (Part 1)
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Open consultations on enhanced cooperation on international public policy issues pertaining to the Internet http://www.unpan.org/ Website UN talks on Internet Regulation labelled "offensive"US Congresswoman offers resolution: Hands off the internet!US politicians have responded to moves from within the United Nations to form an inter-Government panel to regulate the internet, putting forward a resolution demanding the UN maintain a "hands-off approach".
Responding to an exclusive iTnews report on the United Nations discussion (which overnight became the most read story in iTnews' history), California Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack has put forward a resolution that the United Nations and other international governmental organisations take their hands off the Internet. Introducing House Resolution 1775 [see full text below], Mack argued that "the Internet has progressed and thrived precisely because it has not been subjected to the suffocating effect of a governmental organization's heavy hand.
"The attempt of the United Nations to overtake something that is so central to our economy-like the Internet-is offensive and completely out of line," she said. "We have a hard enough time keeping the Federal Communications Commission's hands off the Internet; imagine having to convince governments like Syria, Iran and Venezuela."
Mack insisted that market-based policies and private sector leadership allowed the Internet the flexibility to evolve and continue to push the boundaries of innovation. "I call on the President and his Administration to oppose any effort to transfer control of the Internet to the United Nations or any other international governmental entity." Mack - who is the incoming Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade within the United States House Energy and Commerce Committee - wasn't a lone voice in opposing efforts to police the internet in the wake of WikiLeak's 'Cablegate' fiasco.
A US Congressional hearing calling for criminal charges against WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange was also played down as "extreme". "There is far too much secrecy and overclassification in the executive branch, and I think it puts American democracy at risk." said Congressional Democrat representative William Delahunt (Massachusetts).
Cerf, Google rally troops Vint Cerf, widely regarded as the father of the internet, also hit out at the United Nations plan.
"Today, I have signed that petition on Google's behalf because we don't believe governments should be allowed to grant themselves a monopoly on Internet governance," Cerf said on Friday on behalf of Google where he works as its chief internet lobbyist.
Cerf said the beauty of the existing governance structure was that it was "bottoms-up" and influenced by a range of stakeholders, including companies and academics. "This model has not only made the Internet very open—a testbed for innovation by anyone, anywhere—it's also prevented vested interests from taking control," said Cerf. Cert called on concerned stakeholders to sign a petition penned by, amongst others, Australia's top level domain regulator, auDA, The Internet Governance Caucus, the Internet Society and the ICANN, the International Chamber of Commerce, Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers.
The text of Mack's House Resolution 1775 reads as follows: _______________________________________ RESOLUTION Expressing the sense of the House that the United Nations and other international governmental organizations shall not be allowed to exercise control over the Internet. Whereas market-based policies and private sector leadership have allowed the Internet the flexibility to evolve; Whereas given the importance of the Internet to the global economy, it is essential that the underlying technical infrastructure of the Internet remain stable and secure; Whereas the developing world deserves the access to knowledge, services, commerce, and communication, the accompanying benefits to economic development, education, health care, and the informed discussion that is the bedrock of democratic self-government that the Internet provides; Whereas the explosive and hugely beneficial growth of the Internet did not result from increased government involvement but from the opening of the Internet to commerce and private sector innovation; Whereas some nations that advocate radical change in the structure of Internet governance censor the information available to their citizens through the Internet and use the Internet as a tool of surveillance to curtail legitimate political discussion and dissent, and other nations operate telecommunications systems as state-controlled monopolies or highly-regulated and highly-taxed entities; Whereas some nations in support of transferring Internet governance to an entity affiliated with the United Nations, or another international entity, might seek to have such an entity endorse national policies that block access to information, stifle political dissent, and maintain outmoded communications structures; Whereas the structure and control of Internet governance has profound implications for homeland security, competition and trade, democratization, free expression, access to information, privacy, and the protection of intellectual property, and the threat of some nations to take unilateral actions that would fracture the root zone file would result in a less functional Internet with diminished benefits for all people: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House-- (1) calls on the President to continue to oppose any effort to transfer control of the Internet to the United Nations or any other international governmental entity; and (2) calls on the President to-- (A) recognize the need for, and pursue a continuing and constructive dialogue with the international community on, the future of Internet governance; and (B) advance the values of a free Internet in the broader trade and diplomatic conversations of the United States. (Additional reporting by Liam Tung) Copyright © iTnews.com.au . All rights reserved. |
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