Control of the Internet
Recently, there was a conference in Tunis and one of the things "talked about" was control of the Internet. It seems that the United Nations and a number of repressive regimes (China for one) are salivating at the thought of taking control away from the ICANN and the USA.
Their little hopes were dashed and the US and ICANN retain full control. One reason for this was this letter from Condi Rice to Jack Straw (and the EU).
From
The Register:
Dear Foreign Secretary,
The governance structure and continued stability and sustainability of the Internet are of paramount importance to the United States. The Internet has become an essential infrastructure for global communications, including for global trade and commerce, and therefore we firmly believe that support for the present structures for Internet governance is vital. These structures have proven to be a reliable foundation for the robust growth of the Internet we have seen over the course of the last decade.
As we approach the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), we should underscore the vast potential of the Internet for global economic expansion, poverty alleviation, and for improving health, education and other public services, particularly in the developing world where Internet access remain unacceptably low.
The Internet will reach its full potential as a medium and facilitator for global economic expansion and development in an environment free from burdensome intergovernmental oversight and control. The success of the Internet lies in its inherently decentralized nature, with the most significant growth taking place at the outer edges of the network through innovative new applications and services. Burdensome, bureaucratic oversight is out of place in an Internet structure that has worked so well for many around the globe. We regret the recent positions on Internet governance(i.e., the “new cooperation model”) offered by the European Union, the Presidency of which is currently held by the United Kingdom, seems to propose just that - a new structure of intergovernmental control over the Internet.
Not a "diplomatic" word in the whole thing. I love her!!!
Posted by DaveH at December 4, 2005 3:57 PM