Internet Activists on Red Alert Ahead of United Nations Conference
Internet activists are warning that next month’s meeting of the International Telecommunications Union, a United Nations body charged with overseeing global communications, may have significant and potentially disastrous consequences for everyday Internet users.
Called the World Conference on International Telecommunications, the meeting is intended to update some of the aging international law that governs the flow of information online. The meeting is mostly closed to the public, so the few details we do know about various proposals are largely thanks to leaks, many of which are published on WCITleaks.
What we do know is that at least some of the proposals could allow governments more power to clamp down on Internet access or tax international traffic, either of which are anathema to the idea of a free, open and international Internet. Other proposals would move some responsibility for Internet governance to the United Nations.
SEE ALSO: The United Nations, Controller of the Internet?
While many experts agree the current Internet governance setup isn’t perfect — some argue the United States has outsized influence, for instance — Internet advocates are warning that proposals expected to arise at WCIT could be dangerous to the Internet as we know it.
The likelihood of any of these proposals passing is questionable — WCIT is one country, one vote, and most proposals require a consensus to pass. However, Fight For the Future and Access, two Internet advocacy groups, aren’t taking any chances: They’re joining forces to launch an informational campaign and petition urging citizens to oppose letting the ITU handle decisions about Internet governance.
“It’s a global effort to mobilize Internet users everywhere to call their governments to oppose handing over key decisions about the Internet to ITU,” said Mike Rispoli of Access. “Some of the proposals, the way we see it, really could change the Internet as we know it.”
The two groups created the above video, a four-minute overview of the ITU, WCIT and the major Internet governance issues surrounding the conference. For more information about their campaign, check out WhatIsTheITU.org.
Are you worried about what may come about at WCIT, or should Internet governance be more of an international responsibility? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, skegbydave.
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