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The U.N. Threat to Internet Freedom

phb's picture

Vyzera, ze tentokrat im to prejde:

On Feb. 27, a diplomatic process will begin in Geneva that could result in a new treaty giving the United Nations unprecedented powers over the Internet. Dozens of countries, including Russia and China, are pushing hard to reach this goal by year's end. As Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said last June, his goal and that of his allies is to establish "international control over the Internet" through the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a treaty-based organization under U.N. auspices.
...
Today, however, Russia, China and their allies within the 193 member states of the ITU want to renegotiate the 1988 treaty to expand its reach into previously unregulated areas. Reading even a partial list of proposals that could be codified into international law next December at a conference in Dubai is chilling:

• Subject cyber security and data privacy to international control;

• Allow foreign phone companies to charge fees for "international" Internet traffic, perhaps even on a "per-click" basis for certain Web destinations, with the goal of generating revenue for state-owned phone companies and government treasuries;

• Impose unprecedented economic regulations such as mandates for rates, terms and conditions for currently unregulated traffic-swapping agreements known as "peering."

• Establish for the first time ITU dominion over important functions of multi-stakeholder Internet governance entities such as the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, the nonprofit entity that coordinates the .com and .org Web addresses of the world;

• Subsume under intergovernmental control many functions of the Internet Engineering Task Force, the Internet Society and other multi-stakeholder groups that establish the engineering and technical standards that allow the Internet to work;

• Regulate international mobile roaming rates and practices.

Many countries in the developing world, including India and Brazil, are particularly intrigued by these ideas. Even though Internet-based technologies are improving billions of lives everywhere, some governments feel excluded and want more control.

Unlike the U.N. Security Council, no country can wield a veto in ITU proceedings. With this in mind, some estimate that approximately 90 countries could be supporting intergovernmental Net regulation—a mere seven short of a majority.

cely clanok na:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405297020479240457722907402319532...

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phb's picture

Re: The U.N. Threat to Internet Freedom

som zvedavy ako to spoja s tymto:

http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/17session/A.HRC.17.2...

This report explores key trends and challenges to the right of all individuals to seek,
receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds through the Internet. The Special
Rapporteur underscores the unique and transformative nature of the Internet not only to
enable individuals to exercise their right to freedom of opinion and expression, but also a
range of other human rights, and to promote the progress of society as a whole. Chapter III
of the report underlines the applicability of international human rights norms and standards
on the right to freedom of opinion and expression to the Internet as a communication
medium, and sets out the exceptional circumstances under which the dissemination of
certain types of information may be restricted.

______________________________
There are no great men, only great challenges that ordinary men are forced by circumstances to meet. -- Admiral William Halsey

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