[governance] Re: Separate statement on themes for Vilnius

[Jeremy Malcolm]

On 29/01/2010, at 6:47 PM, Jeremy Malcolm wrote:

> So, let's get to work on such a statement now.  I don't think it needs to be very long, and indeed we could just put forward some bullet points for Ginger to elaborate upon on the day.  So far we have on the table the following substantive themes:
> 
> * Human rights
> * Development agenda
> * Network neutrality/Open Internet
> 
> Comments, please, particularly on the last of these which Parminder has just introduced?


With just over a week to go there have still been no comments on this thread so far, so I will try to summarise some of the arguments that are usually made for and against this theme, as a way of kick-starting discussion:

FOR:

Network neutrality (or "open Internet") emphasises the interest of Internet users in being able, by default, to access content, services and applications free from corporate or governmental interference (though there are cases in which compelling interests may require exceptions to this general principle).  Network neutrality also stands for the treatment of intermediaries (again, by default) as conduits for information, rather than gatekeepers who bear liability for the content they carry.

AGAINST:

Network neutrality is a confusing phrase with many different meanings to different people.  For example it is still wrongly thought of as preventing individual network operators from managing their bandwidth, which will only lead to misunderstandings in Vilnius (like the arguments over whether "critical Internet resources" includes electricity).  On the other hand "Open Internet" doesn't seem to add anything to the existing "Openness" theme, so why not just keep using that existing theme instead? 

-- 
Jeremy Malcolm
Project Coordinator
Consumers International
Kuala Lumpur Office for Asia Pacific and the Middle East
Lot 5-1 Wisma WIM, 7 Jalan Abang Haji Openg, TTDI, 60000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: +60 3 7726 1599

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