[Advisors] Power talking: Internet governance in focus in Dubai
Michael Gillespie
michaelg at gray.mb.ca
Mon, 3 Dec 2012 12:33:51 -0600
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From: Good Morning Silicon Valley
Power talking: Internet governance in focus in Dubai
By LEVI SUMAGAYSAY
Is the Internet=E2=80=99s future in danger? The World Conference on Internat=
ional Telecommunications kicks off this week in Dubai with the goal of revis=
iting a treaty last updated in 1988. People such as Vint Cerf, widely known a=
s one of the fathers of the Internet and now aGoogle executive, warn that th=
e International Telecommunications Union, a U.N. agency, could gain too much=
power over the Internet.
Cerf is concerned, for example, about human rights and free speech.
=E2=80=9CThis would actually give some counties the ability to reference an i=
nternational treaty and begin to suppress speech and then claim, =E2=80=98I=E2=
=80=99m only doing this because the international treaty obligates me to do i=
t,=E2=80=99 =E2=80=9D he told theMerc=E2=80=99s Mike Cassidy. In a blog post=
, Cerf also warns that some of the proposals allow governments to justify cu=
tting off Internet access.
European Union digital commissioner Neelie Kroes also has voiced her opposit=
ion, tweeting last week: =E2=80=9CThe Internet works, it doesn=E2=80=99t nee=
d to be regulated by ITR treaty. If it ain=E2=80=99t broke, don=E2=80=99t fi=
x it.=E2=80=9D
In a summary of the issues before the WCIT, the Center of Democracy and Tech=
nology advocates a =E2=80=9Cdecentralized=E2=80=9D model of governing the In=
ternet, which it says has worked well so far.
But the ITU says among its goals is to expand access to the Internet.
=E2=80=9CThe brutal truth is that the internet remains largely [the] rich wo=
rld=E2=80=99s privilege.=E2=80=9D said Hamadoun Toure, secretary-general of t=
he ITU, according to the BBC. =E2=80=9CITU wants to change that.=E2=80=9D To=
ure also disputed claims that the ITU would try to take over duties of the U=
.S.-based ICANN, which handles domain names and more. Other proposals before=
the conference include taxing Internet companies that deliver content onlin=
e.
Is the hand-wringing justified? As GMSV mentioned in June, the ITU also has p=
ointed out its regulations are non-binding for its member states. (Politico p=
oints out that the United States, a vocal critic of what has been characteri=
zed as a U.N. power grab, doesn=E2=80=99t have to sign off on changes to the=
treaty.) Also according to the BBC: The ITU points out that critics such as=
Google are part of the U.S. delegation, even though only governments =E2=80=
=94 which include historically oppressive ones such as China, Russia, Saudi A=
rabia, Iran andSyria, points out the Merc=E2=80=99s Cassidy =E2=80=94 are of=
ficially at the table.
Autocorrect errors courtesy of my iPhone 4S on the retarded Telus network
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<html><head><meta http-equiv=3D"content-type" content=3D"text/html; charset=3D=
utf-8"></head><body dir=3D"auto"><div><p style=3D"margin: 0px 0px 8px 13px; p=
adding: 0px; font-weight: bold; "><span style=3D"-webkit-text-size-adjust: a=
uto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">From: Good Morning Silicon V=
alley</span></p><p style=3D"margin: 0px 0px 5px 13px; padding: 0px; "><span s=
tyle=3D"-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255=
, 0);"><font>Power talking: Internet governance in focus in Dubai</font><br>=
<br>By <a href=3D"mailto:lsumagaysay@bayareanewsgroup.com">LEVI SUMAGAY=
SAY</a><br></span></p><p style=3D"margin: 0px 0px 5px 13px; padding: 0px; ">=
<span style=3D"-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 2=
55, 255, 0);">Is the Internet=E2=80=99s future in danger? The World Conferen=
ce on International Telecommunications kicks off this week in Dubai with the=
goal of revisiting a treaty last updated in 1988. People such as Vint Cerf,=
widely known as one of the fathers of the Internet and now a<a href=3D"http=
://click1.newsletters.siliconvalley.com/vpprphytjjrngzvmnkbgvnqtdqnrcbdgckhb=
zchffjvhrjv_hncsfsfcfcmq.html" target=3D"_blank">Google</a> executive, w=
arn that the International Telecommunications Union, a U.N. agency, could ga=
in too much power over the Internet.</span></p><p style=3D"margin: 0px 0px 5=
px 13px; padding: 0px; "><span style=3D"-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; back=
ground-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Cerf is concerned, for example, about=
human rights and free speech.</span></p><p style=3D"margin: 0px 0px 5px 13p=
x; padding: 0px; "><span style=3D"-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background=
-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">=E2=80=9CThis would actually give some coun=
ties the ability to reference an international treaty and begin to suppress s=
peech and then claim, =E2=80=98I=E2=80=99m only doing this because the inter=
national treaty obligates me to do it,=E2=80=99 =E2=80=9D he told the<a href=
=3D"http://click1.newsletters.siliconvalley.com/wvwfvgjynnfbsmlzbwqslbtyktbf=
hqkshwgqmhgddnlgfnv_hncsfsfcfcmq.html" target=3D"_blank">Merc=E2=80=99s Mike=
Cassidy</a>. In a <a href=3D"http://click1.newsletters.siliconvalley.c=
om/ggrwgrmhllwdtpyndkqtydjhsjdwfqstfkrqpfrcclyrwlk_hncsfsfcfcmq.html" target=
=3D"_blank">blog post</a>, Cerf also warns that some of the proposals allow g=
overnments to justify cutting off Internet access.</span></p><p style=3D"mar=
gin: 0px 0px 5px 13px; padding: 0px; "><span style=3D"-webkit-text-size-adju=
st: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">European Union digital c=
ommissioner Neelie Kroes also has voiced her opposition, <a href=3D"htt=
p://click1.newsletters.siliconvalley.com/ivdgvmcfnngwdqhzwbkdhwtfptwgrkpdrbm=
kqrmyynhmgnm_hncsfsfcfcmq.html" target=3D"_blank">tweeting</a> last wee=
k: =E2=80=9CThe Internet works, it doesn=E2=80=99t need to be regulated by I=
TR treaty. If it ain=E2=80=99t broke, don=E2=80=99t fix it.=E2=80=9D</span><=
/p><p style=3D"margin: 0px 0px 5px 13px; padding: 0px; "><span style=3D"-web=
kit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In a s=
ummary of the issues before the WCIT, the Center of Democracy and Technology=
advocates a =E2=80=9Cdecentralized=E2=80=9D model of governing the Internet=
, which it says has worked well so far.</span></p><p style=3D"margin: 0px 0p=
x 5px 13px; padding: 0px; "><span style=3D"-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; b=
ackground-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">But the ITU says among its goals i=
s to expand access to the Internet.</span></p><p style=3D"margin: 0px 0px 5p=
x 13px; padding: 0px; "><span style=3D"-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; backg=
round-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">=E2=80=9CThe brutal truth is that the i=
nternet remains largely [the] rich world=E2=80=99s privilege.=E2=80=9D said H=
amadoun Toure, secretary-general of the ITU, according to the <a href=3D=
"http://click1.newsletters.siliconvalley.com/jjqsjvndqqswmkrfwthmrwzdczwsphc=
mptvhkpvbbqrvsqm_hncsfsfcfcmq.html" target=3D"_blank">BBC</a>. =E2=80=9CITU w=
ants to change that.=E2=80=9D Toure also disputed claims that the ITU would t=
ry to take over duties of the U.S.-based ICANN, which handles domain names a=
nd more. Other proposals before the conference include taxing Internet compa=
nies that deliver content online.</span></p><p style=3D"margin: 0px 0px 5px 1=
3px; padding: 0px; "><span style=3D"-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; backgrou=
nd-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Is the hand-wringing justified? As <=
a href=3D"http://click1.newsletters.siliconvalley.com/nfjwfdkzrrwnpmyjnthpyn=
czgcnwbhgpbtdhmbdqqrydwrr_hncsfsfcfcmq.html" target=3D"_blank">GMSV</a> =
;mentioned in June, the ITU also has pointed out its regulations are non-bin=
ding for its member states. (<a href=3D"http://click1.newsletters.siliconval=
ley.com/bfzdfgztccdyqmlbyjkqlystvsydnkvqnjgkmngppclgdcb_hncsfsfcfcmq.html" t=
arget=3D"_blank">Politico</a> points out that the United States, a voca=
l critic of what has been characterized as a U.N. power grab, doesn=E2=80=99=
t have to sign off on changes to the treaty.) Also according to the BBC: The=
ITU points out that critics such as Google are part of the U.S. delegation,=
even though only governments =E2=80=94 which include historically oppressiv=
e ones such as China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iran and<a href=3D"http://click1=
.newsletters.siliconvalley.com/fbqqhjyfggqwnlsrwbznswcftcwqpztnpbjzlpjddgsjq=
gy_hncsfsfcfcmq.html" target=3D"_blank">Syria</a>, points out the <a hr=
ef=3D"http://click1.newsletters.siliconvalley.com/dmpghcjnddgfmwpsfrkmpflnzl=
fgbkzmbrckwbcttdpcgsg_hncsfsfcfcmq.html" target=3D"_blank">Merc=E2=80=99s Ca=
ssidy</a> =E2=80=94 are officially at the table.</span></p><br><span st=
yle=3D"-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26,=
26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.23=
0469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); backgr=
ound-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); ">Autocorrect errors courtesy of </span>=
<span style=3D"-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">my iPhone 4S on the retarded=
Telus network</span><div style=3D"-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; "><br></d=
iv><div style=3D"-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; "><br><div><span style=3D"f=
ont-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Grande', Arial; font-size: 22px; -=
webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-=
fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: r=
gba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-colo=
r: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br></span></div></div></div></body></html>=
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