[governance] US House Bill to Affirm the Policy of the United States Regarding Internet Governance

[Avri Doria]

Hi.

The issue its _not_ one of no government involvement. They are stakeholder that play a role. 

It is one of no government control.

Avri Doria <avri at acm.org> wrote:

>Hi,
>
>I have not read the bill yet, but from what you say, I find its premise
>reasonable. I am sure I will find something to be critical of when I
>have read the whole thing.
>
>Or did you mean critical thought in the philosophical sense. Which can
>agrees as much as it can disagree.
>
>I too wish for an Internet free of government control.  Any government
>control. 
>Though of course I accept them as one stakeholder among the other
>stakeholders.
>
>And I too wish to preserve and advance, aka make better and more
>prevalent, the multistakeholder model.
>
>So from what you have quoted, I find little to disagree with so far. 
>Though I am sure I will find lots to quibble about in the full
>language.
>
>Yes, there are governments that wish to control the Internet. 
>But I do not believe that its in anyone's interests, not civil
>society's and not even the governments, for them to try do so.  
>I don't believe they would ever succeed, but they could certainly cause
>a lot of dangers and degradation of the rights concerns we all have in
>the operation of an open Internet.
>
>I do believe the model needs to be enhanced, aka made better or
>advanced. 
>And I do believe there are many parts of the model that can be
>advanced, enhanced and improved.
>And I do believe there is a lot of room for improvements in stakeholder
>participation, accountability and transparency.
>
>If only we could focus on that instead of constantly needing to defend
>it against those who would destroy it by turning it into a
>intergovernmental fiefdom.
>
>Now whether I believe anything the US Congress does can actually
>achieve that goal is another matter completely.
>
>But I would personally be happy to see every government make a pledge
>to keep their hands off of the management of the Internet and to become
>good actors as stakeholders in the governance of the Internet.
>
>Jeremy Malcolm <jeremy at ciroap.org> wrote:
>
>>It doesn't seem to have been mentioned here yet (or maybe only in
>>passing) that there is a bill on Internet governance being debated in
>>the Energy & Commerce Committee of the US House of Representatives at
>>the moment.  There will doubtless be stampede of uncritical support
>for
>>it from politicians of all sides (there is no hidden intellectual
>>property "gotcha"), but unfortunately its premises are fundamentally
>>flawed.
>>
>>http://energycommerce.house.gov/markup/markup-bill-affirm-policy-united-states-regarding-internet-governance
>>
>>It only has two sections: one on "Findings" and one on "Policy
>>regarding Internet governance", which flows from the findings.  The
>>latter simply states:
>>
>>"It is the policy of the United States to promote a global Internet
>>free from government control and to preserve and advance the
>successful
>>multistakeholder model that governs the Internet."
>>
>>So this is obviously nonsense; it is not US policy to promote a global
>>Internet free from government control, only free from the control of
>>other governments besides itself.  And note that US policy is only to
>>"preserve and advance" not to "enhance" the multistakeholder model,
>>which continues the fiction that the multistakeholder institutions
>that
>>we have now are adequate both in their inclusiveness and in the
>breadth
>>of Internet governance topics that they cover.
>>
>>Of course, you can argue for more beneficial interpretations by
>>defining "control" and "multistakeholder model" expansively, but even
>>so this bill is just going to entrench the standoff between the US and
>>other countries, which is not going to be helpful in reaching
>>compromise on the evolution of Internet governance arrangements this
>>year...
>>
>>-- 
>>Dr Jeremy Malcolm
>>Senior Policy Officer
>>Consumers International | the global campaigning voice for consumers
>>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
>>
>>WCRD 2013 – Consumer Justice Now! | Consumer Protection Map:
>>https://wcrd2013.crowdmap.com/main | #wcrd2013
>>
>>@Consumers_Int | www.consumersinternational.org |
>>www.facebook.com/consumersinternational
>>
>>Read our email confidentiality notice. Don't print this email unless
>>necessary.
>
>Avri Doria

Avri Doria
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