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

[Milton L Mueller]

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.

Jeremy:
It seems you did not pay very close attention to the deliberations on the bill in the U.S. Congress. Had you listened to Rep. Eshoo, who spoke in opposition to the bill immediately after its introduction, it was noted that the NTIA, FCC and other USG departments linked to the Obama admin. had expressed concern that the bill's opposition to "government control" as stated might actually be interpreted to challenge the U.S. Commerce Department's IANA contract and control over ICANN.

Based on this new information, I look forward to a turnaround on your view of the legislation. ;-) Indeed, the bill's statement of opposition to government control as a principle might indeed cut both ways. For that reason I am more sympathetic to it than people here seem to be.

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.

[Milton L Mueller] I agree that talk of "The Multistakeholder Model," as if it were a single thing and a well-defined, perfect alternative, is grating. But you and others on this list who now oppose this bear some of the responsibility for elevating this rather empty concept into a full-fledged governance model. Or did I misread your dissertation?

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...

[Milton L Mueller] What other countries are you talking about? China? Russia? Saudi Arabia? U.A.E.? Iran? What kind of compromise are you talking about? Concessions to "government control?" Perhaps a bit more government control than we have now in order to keep the Saudis happy?

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