[governance] Internet as a commons/ public good

[parminder]

On Monday 29 April 2013 08:18 AM, Jeremy Malcolm wrote:
> On 29/04/13 10:37, Milton L Mueller wrote:
>> */[Milton L Mueller] If most people agree, they should be able to 
>> provide examples. Yet, I am still waiting for specific examples. 
>> Examples of both what specifically is meant by “reduction to closed 
>> or proprietary online spaces”, and evidence of the “growth” of this 
>> problem./**/
>>
>> So far, the only concrete reference I have seen comes from Mawaki, 
>> and it is a good example of why I am resisting this statement. Mawaki 
>> claimed “that the internet experience of more and more users --maybe 
>> the younger ones-- is becoming limited to particular apps, notably 
>> those of social media such as Facebook (FB).” Now, I am not a 
>> Facebook member and do not particularly like that type of online 
>> community. But I would quibble with the definition of Facebook as 
>> “closed,” in that joining is free and pretty much open to anyone, and 
>> using it does not prevent anyone from accessing anything else on the 
>> internet. FB does not alter or in any way enclose the Internet 
>> protocols or standards./*
>
> I can't say if this is what Mawaki meant, but there are many mobile 
> Internet services around the world (including mine, Maxis here in 
> Malaysia) that give you free or cheaper access to Facebook than to 
> other social networking websites.  Also, devices such as phones and 
> game consoles typically allow a gatekeeper to approve what apps you 
> can use to access the Internet.  For example I have an iPhone, and I 
> want to use a Bitcoin client on it - but I can't, because Apple 
> decided I can't; and I want to install a Bittorrent app on my PS3, but 
> I can't, because Sony decided I can't.  I presume that you have read 
> Zittrain's "The Future of the Internet", which although becoming dated 
> now gives many other examples.

These are certainly very significant instances of how the proprietary 
aspects of the Internet are overtaking its commons/ public goods 
aspects. And the movement in this direction continues unabated, in fact 
with increased force. We now have this new proposed web standard that 
seems to incorporate DRM possibilities. Recently there was the IETF RFC 
controversy whereby the market character of the Internet seemed to be 
given a decisive precedence over its collaborative possibilities.... ( 
Milton, I know no number of facts is going to be enough for you.)

As for the much touted idea of 'balance' here, it is always a relative 
context. Which way we should move to reach where we want to go depends 
on where we stand at present. How we balance depends on which way we 
seem to be falling. (Here, the issue of 'whose interests we represent' 
also comes into the picture, because different groups and people are 
being affected differently by these changes. Yes, I know, some love it. )

OECD's Principles for Internet Policy Making focus strongly on 
intellectual property rights and their enforcement, with little to say 
about its commons/ public goods nature. So are increasing number of 
'global' policy instruments promoted by rich country governments.

These are the most powerful forces shaping the Internet today. And they 
are shaping it in a manner that furthers their narrow geo economic 
interests. Our strategies and activities need to address this specific 
context/ problem. It is this problematic and growing dis-balance that we 
had sought to correct through a civil society statement, taking it that 
civil society is supposed to intervene on the side of the more 
marginalised sections. But if the caucus does not want to recognise this 
problem and to do something about it, that is fine. It could however 
result in losing considerable credibility among progressive groups.

parminder









>
> -- 
>
> *Dr Jeremy Malcolm
> Senior Policy Officer
> Consumers International | the global campaigning voice for consumers*
> Office for Asia-Pacific and the Middle East
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> Malaysia
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>
> WCRD 2013 – Consumer Justice Now! | Consumer Protection Map: 
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