Battle over Internet: US web authority challenged - report
Delegates at the first morning session of WCIT 2012, Dubai U.A.E., 3-14 December 2012 (Photo from flickr/itupictures)
Several countries including Russia, China and Saudi Arabia are reportedly seeking to reduce US dominance over the Internet. If successful the move will empower governments to silently eliminate troublesome websites.
A UN group is challenging US dominance over the key parts of the Internet, which is reportedly reflected in a proposal put through at the Worldwide Conference on International Telecommunications in Dubai.
Among the most controversial calls of the proposal is a reformulation of the role played by the US-based Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, which manages the Domain Name System (DNS). Several national governments believe the management of domestic Internet addresses should be left in state hands.
The nations behind the call include China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Bahrain, Iraq, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates.
The conference is organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a United Nations agency tasked with updating the technical standards which enable different countries’ telephone networks to work together. The agency has insisted that the conference does not seek to increase the UN’s authority over the Internet.
The Dubai conference is meant to review the outdated 1988 International Telecommunications Regulations (ITRs), a global treaty which “sets out general principles for assuring the free flow of information around the world, promoting affordable and equitable access for all and laying the foundation for ongoing innovation and market growth,” the ITU web page says.
No actual vote on the UN group proposal has taken place yet, but a consensus has been reached,
Mohammed Nasser al-Ghanim, the chairman of the Thursday marathon talks reported. “The temperature in the room” showed the majority backed the proposal, he said, which reflects the strong support for reducing US rule over the Internet and allowing national governments to manage the web from within their own borders.
Those in opposition say the proposal threatens Internet stability and privacy of information, as control over the web would grant governments the ability to make “undesirable” sites inaccessible to the outside world.
The US negatively reacted to the calls for change, saying the Obama administration “will not support” such a treaty.
“From the start, the US position has been clear: the WCIT should be about updating a public telecommunications treaty to reflect today’s market-based realities — not a new venue to create regulations on the Internet, private networks, or the data flowing across them,” the White House blog post read.
Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Germany and Sweden have also expressed opposition to the proposal.
There were also reports that Russia withdrew the proposal for revision, but later resubmitted it with the group. The conference ends on Friday.
A UN group is challenging US dominance over the key parts of the Internet, which is reportedly reflected in a proposal put through at the Worldwide Conference on International Telecommunications in Dubai.
Among the most controversial calls of the proposal is a reformulation of the role played by the US-based Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, which manages the Domain Name System (DNS). Several national governments believe the management of domestic Internet addresses should be left in state hands.
The nations behind the call include China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Bahrain, Iraq, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates.
The conference is organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a United Nations agency tasked with updating the technical standards which enable different countries’ telephone networks to work together. The agency has insisted that the conference does not seek to increase the UN’s authority over the Internet.
The Dubai conference is meant to review the outdated 1988 International Telecommunications Regulations (ITRs), a global treaty which “sets out general principles for assuring the free flow of information around the world, promoting affordable and equitable access for all and laying the foundation for ongoing innovation and market growth,” the ITU web page says.
No actual vote on the UN group proposal has taken place yet, but a consensus has been reached,
Mohammed Nasser al-Ghanim, the chairman of the Thursday marathon talks reported. “The temperature in the room” showed the majority backed the proposal, he said, which reflects the strong support for reducing US rule over the Internet and allowing national governments to manage the web from within their own borders.
Those in opposition say the proposal threatens Internet stability and privacy of information, as control over the web would grant governments the ability to make “undesirable” sites inaccessible to the outside world.
The US negatively reacted to the calls for change, saying the Obama administration “will not support” such a treaty.
“From the start, the US position has been clear: the WCIT should be about updating a public telecommunications treaty to reflect today’s market-based realities — not a new venue to create regulations on the Internet, private networks, or the data flowing across them,” the White House blog post read.
Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Germany and Sweden have also expressed opposition to the proposal.
There were also reports that Russia withdrew the proposal for revision, but later resubmitted it with the group. The conference ends on Friday.
The internet is free. I understand that the countries in opposition of the internet as it is now are not democracies but it is really important to understand that our world is changing and if they limit the technology/ internet uses I feel like their country will fall behind.
ReplyDelete-posted by Courtney Morgan
Yeah I don't understand why they want to limit the US control over it. Why don't they just get more involved. (alessia a)
ReplyDeleteThats really stupid to reduce the US dominance over the Internet.Were like the world police watching over the world and the intertnet plays a big part on that.
ReplyDeleteJose A