Tuesday, March 1, 2011

The Internet is open...

...but for how long?



Obviously, this is not good...

“The California nonprofit organization that operates the Internet's levers has always been a target for such global heavies as Russia and China that prefer the United Nations to be in charge of the Web. But these days, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers is fending off attacks from a seemingly unlikely source: the Obama administration,” according to the story. “The U.S. government, which helped create ICANN in 1998, has been reprimanding the nonprofit group to give foreign nations more say over the Web's operations."

Wait, what? We want to give other nations more say - especially over free speech? A free press?

The story continues: “Other nations have been mobilizing against ICANN. China, which monitors dissident activity on the Web, has been leading a campaign among dozens of developing nations to lobby the U.N. for oversight over ICANN, according to former and current ICANN officials. And a coalition of former Soviet states led by a Russian minister has been pushing the U.N. to obtain veto power over ICANN.

What a brilliant idea! I mean, especially since so many other nations - including some we call "friends" - are just as dedicated to freedom as we are. I'm sure this will all end superbly.

After all, when countries like Egypt, Libya and China have control over the Internet, they've been nothing but wonderful. Right?


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