Internet Regulation: Falling Prey to United Nations?

[Palinurus]

From: http://m.steamboattoday.com/news/2012/apr/19/douglas-falling-prey-united-nations/
Interesting article and even more interesting comments (with sources):

Story by Rob Douglas
Thursday, April 19, 2012

Steamboat Springs — On Dec. 3, a global battle will commence in the United Arab Emirates. By Dec. 14 — without a single shot fired — the last frontier of freedom could fall prey to the United Nations. Specifically, the Internet as we know it could cease to exist in ways that will profoundly impact national security, privacy, freedom of expression and free trade. And yet, the Obama administration is not moving fast enough to thwart this threat, and the American people seem tragically unaware of this pending loss of freedom and security.

The International Telecommunications Union is the United Nations’ official agency for information and communication technologies. On Dec. 3, the ITU will convene the first World Conference on International Telecommunications in Dubai. As the ITU notes on the Web page promoting the meeting, “The conference will consider a review of the (1988) International Telecommunication Regulations, which define the general principles for the provision and operation of international telecommunications. Signed by 178 countries, ITRs are a global treaty applied around the world.”

Given that seemingly benign description, it is easy to understand why most Americans are unaware of the danger that lurks behind the words.

Enter Federal Communications Commissioner Robert McDowell.

From: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204792404577229074023195322.html

By ROBERT M. MCDOWELL

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.

If successful, these new regulatory proposals would upend the Internet's flourishing regime, which has been in place since 1988. That year, delegates from 114 countries gathered in Australia to agree to a treaty that set the stage for dramatic liberalization of international telecommunications. This insulated the Internet from economic and technical regulation and quickly became the greatest deregulatory success story of all time.

Further info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITU-T#International_Telecommunication_Regulations_.28ITRs.29
http://www.itu.int/oth/T3F01000001
http://www.itu.int/en/about/Pages/default.aspx
http://www.itu.int/en/wcit-12/Pages/overview.aspx

 

[Palinurus]

Related news is now available on SOTT here:

http://www.sott.net/articles/show/246171-Russia-calls-for-internet-revolution-Is-BRICS-call-for-UN-regulation-of-Internet-a-preemptive-strike-against-US-full-spectrum-dominance-

 

[Palinurus]

Another sequel in this saga here:
http://www.sott.net/articles/show/247055-Battle-for-Internet-freedom-as-UN-meeting-nears