International Telecommunications Union to Control Internet ?

[W.G.Ewald]

When delegates gather in Dubai in December for an obscure UN agency meeting, fighting is expected to be intense over proposals to rewrite global telecom rules to effectively give the United Nations control over the Internet.

Russia, China and other countries back a move to place the Internet under the authority of the International Telecommunications Union, a UN agency that sets technical standards for global phone calls.

US officials say placing the Internet under UN control would undermine the freewheeling nature of cyberspace, which promotes open commerce and free expression, and could give a green light for some countries to crack down on dissidents.

Observers say a number of authoritarian states will back the move, and that the major Western nations will oppose it, meaning the developing world could make a difference.

"The most likely outcome is a tie, and if that happens there won't be any dramatic changes, although that could change if the developing countries make a big push," said James Lewis, director of the Technology and Public Policy Program at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Showdown set on bid to give UN control of Internet - FRANCE 24

 

[LurkerBaba]

Original headline was dramatic.

Technically speaking, USA currently "controls" the internet, this move will remove their monopoly. I support this
@W.G.Ewald

 

[LurkerBaba]

India also supports this. In a nutshell, the battle is getting rid of USA's monopoly on ICANN

ICANN - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

ICANN is responsible for the coordination of the global Internet's systems of unique identifiers and, in particular, ensuring its stable and secure operation.[2] This work includes coordination of the Internet Protocol address spaces (IPv4 and IPv6) and assignment of address blocks to regional Internet registries, for maintaining registries of Internet protocol identifiers, and for the management of the top-level domain name space (DNS root zone), which includes the operation of root nameservers. Most visibly, much of its work has concerned the DNS policy development for internationalization of the DNS system and introduction of new generic top-level domains (TLDs). The actual technical maintenance work of maintenance of the central Internet address pools and DNS root registries ICANN performs pursuant to the "IANA function" contract.

 

[W.G.Ewald]

In a nutshell, the battle is getting rid of USA's monopoly on ICANN.

And replace with a UN monopoly?

Russia, China and other countries back a move to place the Internet under the authority of the International Telecommunications Union, a UN agency that sets technical standards for global phone calls.

It's the old story. Uncle Sam (DARPA) develops a technology and the rest of the world wants to get its fingers on it, in the interest of ~what? "Fairness"?

Another reason why the world loves Obama, our affirmative-action, post-American president.

Once upon a time, there was a little red hen who scratched about the barnyard until she uncovered some grains of wheat.

She called her neighbors and said, "If we plant this wheat, we shall have bread to eat. Who will help me plant it?"

"Not I," said the cow.
"Not I," said the duck.
"Not I," said the pig.
"Not I," said the goose.

"Then I will," said the little red hen, and she did.

The wheat grew tall and ripened into golden grain. "Who will help me reap my wheat?" asked the little red hen.

"Not I," said the duck.
"Out of my classification," said the pig.
"I'd lose my seniority," said the cow.
"I'd lose my unemployment compensation," said the goose.

"Then I will," said the little red hen, and she did.

At last it came time to bake the bread. "Who will help me bake the bread?" asked the little red hen.

"That would be overtime for me," said the cow.
"I'd lose my welfare benefits," said the duck.
"I'm a dropout and never learned how," said the pig.
"If I'm to be the only helper, that's discrimination," said the goose.

"Then I will," said the little red hen.

She baked five loaves and held them up for her neighbors to see. They wanted some and, in fact, demanded a share.

But the little red hen said, "No, I can eat the five loaves."

"Excess profits!" cried the cow.
"Capitalist leech!" screamed the duck.
"I demand equal rights!" yelled the goose.
And the pig just grunted.

And they painted "unfair" picket signs and marched around and around the little red hen, shouting obscenities.

When the government agent came, he said to the little red hen, "You must not be greedy."

"But I earned the bread," said the little red hen.

"Exactly," said the agent. "That is the wonderful free enterprise system. Anyone in the barnyard can earn as much as he wants. But under our modern government regulations, the productive workers must divide their product with the idle."

And they lived happily ever after, including the little red hen, who smiled and clucked, "I am grateful. I am grateful."

But her neighbors wondered why she never again baked any more bread.

Little Red Hen

 

[LurkerBaba]

And replace with a UN monopoly?

Yes

It's the old story. Uncle Sam (DARPA) develops a technology and the rest of the world wants to get its fingers on it, in the interest of ~what? "Fairness"?

That 'technology' ceased being secret decades ago. Battle here is over control of ICANN which is a governing body.

The alternative is worse. Countries may start to implement their own DNS root, which may not be interoperable. i.e each country would have their "own internet"

 

[W.G.Ewald]

To me, the UN is the same as the Borg.

I will resist, even if the US government submits..

 

[spikey360]

Countries should develop their own internets rather than trying to snatch a slice of the pie. US is doing an ok job of maintaining ICANN.

 

[LurkerBaba]

Countries should develop their own internets rather than trying to snatch a slice of the pie. US is doing an ok job of maintaining ICANN.

Didn't expect this answer from you ! You're comfortable with all top level domains being controlled by USA ?

 

[Apollyon]

The alternative is worse. Countries may start to implement their own DNS root, which may not be interoperable. i.e each country would have their "own internet"

So we need a central governing body to maintain interoperability. What could be the implications (both ways) if a UN agency takeover the control over Internet @LurkerBaba ?

 

[LurkerBaba]

So we need a central governing body to maintain interoperability. What could be the implications (both ways) if a UN agency takeover the control over Internet @LurkerBaba ?

To be honest if a UN agency takes control, then I'd expect loads of censorship due to Russia, China, Sibal scared1 etc. Maybe its better in US hands.

Good outcome ? If war breaks out, USA won't be able to "take down" the internet by messing up routes of top level domains

 

[blank_quest]

Today i read somewhere that 40% nets users in India are girls

 

[W.G.Ewald]

To be honest if a UN agency takes control, then I'd expect loads of censorship due to Russia, China, Sibal scared1 etc. Maybe its better in US hands.

Good outcome ? If war breaks out, USA won't be able to "take down" the internet by messing up routes of top level domains

Have a look at the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

 

[average american]

The USA may have the resources to defend the internet that other countries or organizations would not have. Also there is less likely to be censorship if its operated by the USA. I dont see the USA giving up control.

 

[aeroblogger]

The USA may have the resources to defend the internet that other countries or organizations would not have. Also there is less likely to be censorship if its operated by the USA. I dont see the USA giving up control.

I'm glad you have such a high opinion of yourself.

 

[spikey360]

Didn't expect this answer from you ! You're comfortable with all top level domains being controlled by USA ?

Yes. The Internet would be a safer place that way, imho. The americans might be bad at a lot of things, a lot of them. But the internet is one thing they are supremely good at maintaining and developing. Their record speaks for them. Yes, i'm against the political stances that America takes, however, technology should not be confused with polity.
No one has been hurt or is likely to be hurt by American "control" over the internet (the Internet, for that matter, cannot be controlled, it's simply an interconnected system). In any case, the US has a great sway over UN and things are unlikely to change much. Still, I'd say, let the US have control over Icann. It's simply an organisation. If other countries want control so bad, they should simply develop a consortium of their own.
So yeah, i'm all for American control over top level domains. Very good technological experts work there, no denying this fact. One would rather trust them than any political body.