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A UN Controlled Internet?
Monday, November 14, 2005   By: Juan Paxety

Information wants to be free and so does the Internet

Next week a U.N. conference will try to take steps necessary to grab control of the Internet. It's called The World Summit on the Information Society, and it has become clear that the U.N. is trying to bully the United States into changing the way the Internet is run.

The Internet is not wholly ungoverned. It requires some organization in that country codes, the allocation of domain names, etc. must be centrally regulated. Presently the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers handles this function.

Presently, ICANN exists under a charter from the U.S. Commerce Department. It governs after consultation with governments, Internet companies, technical experts and free speech advocates. Now a number of the world's most repressive regimes, including China and Cuba, want ICANN's functions transferred to a UN organization. Arch Puddington (of Freedom House) writes in the Washington Post:

Advocates of this arrangement make no claims that the current system is flawed. Instead, they focus on the supposed "injustice" or "inappropriateness" of a system overseen by an American agency. And there is an ulterior motive behind the clamor for change.

In a Nov. 5 op-ed column in The Post, U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan wrote that a U.N. role in Internet governance would be benign and would concentrate on expanding the Internet into the developing world. But while Annan's intentions are no doubt well-meaning, the same cannot be said for the coalition of U.N member states making the loudest noise for change. Among them are regimes that have taken measures to control their citizens' access to the Internet and have championed global controls over Internet content. These include some of the world's most repressive states: Cuba, China, Iran and Saudi Arabia. Other governments have weighed in to support U.N. oversight, either out of anti-Americanism, a reflexive commitment to international governance or a belief that Internet content needs to be reined in.

The UN has a history of limited missions turning into huge boondoggles. Just look at the Iraqi Oil-For-Food program.

Bizzyblog has loads of links to articles on the issue. Senator Norm Coleman of Minnesota opposed the plan, calling it a Digital Munich,  last week.

Presently, the US says it will stand firm behind ICANN. Perhaps a letter to your representatives might help. And for you folks in Europe, you might let your representatives know the EU should stand behind the US, too.

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