[governance] Should Internet based two-sided markers be regulated by countries or govts

Sun Aug 19 03:24:35 EDT 2012

Firstly, personally, I find it sad when people try to box or categorise the
developing world as "South". It's a broad attempt for someone's convenience
to paint us all with the same brush. It oversimplifies people's positions
and "assumes" that people all think the same way or are wired the same way.
Nothing could be further from the truth.

Secondly, I do not see why it should surprise anyone that I am
pro-development as I have always been since I was six years old.  The
reality is that no country is the same and there are different challenges,
contexts that cause people to hold certain positions.

Snip
>

> ..... why, when a UN CIRP kind of proposal is brought up even just as a
> dialogue opener, does everyone join the bandwagon of a shrill 'down, down'
> , even without giving it an opportunity of a reasoned discussion.
>

For the simple reason that I do not believe in the methodology. My personal
view is that people need to sit together and dialogue and take stock. To
want to take control of root servers just because majority of them are
housed in the US in my personal view is not the answer. [I am prepared to
change my view if and when convinced otherwise] Too me it is just countries
wanting more geo-political control so they can also strengthen their reach.

>
> To discuss just one global Internet policy related issue that you have
> touched upon, fair distribution of taxes accruing, or that should accrue,
> from commercial transactions on the Internet, europe has an inter-country
> agreement on it.... Why shouldnt developing country also be party to such
> agreements, so that they dont lose revenue.
>

 I agree. This is different from the UN CIRP that was tabled and first
introduced in Nairobi last year. What I have yet to see really is building
dialogue on what the ecosystem or universe is as far as the cyber
environment is concerned. In my view there are many things that we should
fix that require prioritization of resources. Things like capacity building
to enable meaningful participation.

 How would taking over critical internet resources by force be any good for
the developing world if there are competing DNS roots? Globally we have not
addressed the fair competition aspects revolving around wholesale transit
costs and can you imagine Pandora's box unleased when there is competition
at the root level. A brief look at the manner in which telecommunications
regulation has evolved around the world should be enough to suggest that
any transition should be well thought out. In plain speak, the world is
just not ready yet. On the other there is a need to identify and list all
fears and all concerns and to always bear in mind that whilst searching for
solutions, the integrity of the architecture and more importantly the
stability of the Internet is preserved.

> However, when any real institutional proposal to move in such directions
> comes up, as CIRP is, how easily we all - and I address this specially to
> civil society from developing countries -  merrily follow the pied pipper's
> tune of 'threat to the Internet', 'theat to FoE' and the such, towards our
> continued collective bondage and domination by the North ....
>
> We do have the capacity to make up our own minds and if we are perceived
to be under the bondage of the so called "Pied Piper", that is just a
matter of perception.

> Any political position, I would say. is only as good as the willingness to
> work on the corresponding real political possibilities. If you dont like a
> CIRP like possibility, sure, do suggest others.
>

 "Capacity Building" to enable meaningful participation because when people
are empowered, they can meaningfully participate in policy decisions in
their own countries and in other regional and international foras. This
includes all stakeholders working together for the greater good so instead
of tearing each other down look into ways to collaborate.

There are topics of great interest to the developing world as far as the
WCIT is concerned.

But what is the point in vain musings, without putting your political
> currency where your mouth is.
>

 I can only do so much as an individual. So far I have tried to do this by
serving my region within the At Large community in ICANN along with
hundreds of other volunteers to comment on policies looking out after the
interests of ordinary internet users.

Being active within my region in the discussion of these issues, raising
awareness, facilitating trainings making submissions, crafting policies etc
whether this is with the Regulators, ISPs, ITU, SPC etc.

I did not attend the Asian Pacific Regional IGF because I was engaged in
awareness and national consultations with a certain Pacific country as we
were invited by their Government.

>
>

>
> parminder
>
>
>
>
>  On Saturday 18 August 2012 11:19 PM, Salanieta T. Tamanikaiwaimaro wrote:
>
> I don't see why they could be exempt from taxes and why they should not be
> regulated. Ordinarily just as any person travelling to another country is
> subject to the laws of that country and this is true from the moment you
> step into their airspace or water or cyber space. What made the US take
> down Rojadirecta? See: http://www.rojadirecta.com/  where you will see
> evidence of a domain name take down by ICE Homeland Security
> Investigations?
>
>  The only material difference really is that developing countries have
> been dormant and sleeping. If you look at the regulatory trends around the
> world, the developed world has been efficiently keeping companies hosting
> content on the Internet in check and making sure they act responsibly. All
> of a sudden when the "sleeping giant" awakens, ie. the developing world
> wanting to do the same thing there are all kinds of marketing strategies
> designed to take the focus away from the core issues. The reality is that
> this is a new day, markets are being levelled, knowledge is free and the
> developing world has been empowered.  [*Slight bunny trail: If you think
> about how some of these countries were formerly under the dominion of
> others, where much of their wealth and natural resources were sized to
> build empires whilst their own countries lie in ruins. Countries are now
> awakening to build their nations, their infrastructures, their economies etc
> *]
>
> Why should'nt the developing world regulate two-sided market economies? At
> the end of the day, the objections to "Taxation" are about the "bottom
> line" and if that is countries' only mechanism available for making these
> corporates act responsibly.
>
>  In my view the crux of the complex debates revolving around Regulations
> stems from the notion of "borders". Countries have the responsibility of
> looking out for their respective interests.
>
> On Sun, Aug 19, 2012 at 1:45 AM, Fouad Bajwa <fouadbajwa at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> I was asked an interesting question today by a colleague on the
>> discussion about Google's interference in national electronic
>> commerce/e-payment, privacy and ITU-ITRs positions in developing countries
>> in Asia.
>>
>> She asked whether developing countries should regulate two-sided market
>> economies where the platforms were US based content and services providers
>> and tax them and design laws to prevent their interference within a
>> sovereign country's policies?
>>
>> Fouad Bajwa
>>
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>
>
>  --
> Salanieta Tamanikaiwaimaro aka Sala
> P.O. Box 17862
> Suva
> Fiji
>
>  Twitter: @SalanietaT
> Skype:Salanieta.Tamanikaiwaimaro
> Fiji Cell: +679 998 2851
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-- 
Salanieta Tamanikaiwaimaro aka Sala
P.O. Box 17862
Suva
Fiji

Twitter: @SalanietaT
Skype:Salanieta.Tamanikaiwaimaro
Fiji Cell: +679 998 2851
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