[governance] India's proposal for a 50 member UN committee for Internet Related Policies

[Jeremy Malcolm]

Monopolies aren't the only firms who act against the global public interest(s), so too do run-of-the-mill firms in a competitive market. Not all of their abuses are checked by competition law. Other regulation such as consumer protection law is also needed, and this is often ineffective in cross-border commerce. Moreover, consumer law in some jurisdictions is quite lax - and I would have to include the US here. For example, the use of lengthy and legalistic terms and conditions that detract from consumer rights is rife online, and this is something that US law explicitly allows. In other jurisdictions, there is regulation of unfair contract terms, recognising the fictitious nature of freedom of contract between consumers and large firms. But the dominance of US online businesses effectively trumps these protections elsewhere in the world.

Milton L Mueller <mueller at syr.edu> wrote:

>Agreed,
>Also, Parminder's manifesto basically rests its case for governmental/intergovernmental takeover of IG functions on the grounds that we need economic regulation to protect us from "monopolies." I note that neither he nor anyone else pursuing this line has responded to my informed challenge (header: reality check on economics) 
>Are these advocates willing to subject their economic populism to rational discourse and scrutiny? 
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> Without getting into the discussion over the merits of the marketing
>> campaign for Parminder's proposal, I  have to admit I just do not understand
>> how turning over a process that according to the agreed langauge of the
>> Tunis Agenda (paras 67-72) should be within IGF's scope to the CSTD or some
>> other government dominated body increases democratization.
>> 
>> In most every possible way I can think of, this appears to be a step backward.
>> 
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