U.S., UN global Internet wars

Global politics never cease to amaze me.

As many of you know, the Internet was developed by the Department of Defense as a way to expedite communication between researchers. The United States conceptualized it, operationalized it and then shared it with the world. But does the world appreciate our contribution to information technology.

Hell, no.

A group of countries called the Likeminded Group is trying to strong- arm the United States into relinquishing control of the Internet’s core infrastructure, currently overseen by a California nonprofit body that answers to the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Many United Nations countries including Brazil, Iran, Cuba and China, and the European Union form the Likeminded Group. They are demanding the United States turn over control of the Internet to a new U.N.-based Global Internet Council overseen by governments and other stakeholders.

EU spokesman Martin Selmayr said the group is looking for a new cooperation model for all countries that allows Internet governance and the establishment of public policy principles.

“These countries are interested in the governance of the Internet because the Internet is a global resource,” he said.

But the Likeminded Group couldn’t see eye to eye on exactly what it wanted. A September meeting, Prepcon-3 in Geneva, was intended to draft the final document that would be presented by the international community at the World Summit on the Information Society in November. But the meeting of the minds concluded without a finished document.

Despite the inability of the Likeminded Group to reach a consensus, it has found some support by U.S.-based groups that say the unilateral approach taken by the United States could end up having a negative effect on the Internet.

They argue, if disgruntled nations like China set up their own domain name systems, in parallel to the existing network, that could lead to a fragmented Internet making it harder for users to connect and find information on a global scale.

There is more at stake here than who controls the Internet. The world is becoming a place where countries are establishing themselves as either liberal or conservative in the arena of global information. Allies and rivals are being formed and the First Amendment rights of free speech, and the press we hold so dear are being challenged.

“The United States is uniquely positioned in the world to protect the fundamental principles of free press and free speech upon which the Internet has thrived,” Virginia Republican Rep. Bob Goodlatte

said.

Besides the fact that the United States has the privilege and responsibility to protect those rights, it has the lawful right to control what it created. That is a fundamental right all countries have.

What if the United States went to the United Nations and said it thinks it would be in the best interest of a global partnership that all oil-producing countries should relinquish control of their oil fields for the betterment of society? Well, we all know how sticky that would get.

On a positive note, this seems to have united our politicians on one side, the right side.

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