[governance] Managing the Internet in the Public Interest

parminder parminder at itforchange.net
Thu Feb 26 07:04:32 EST 2015


On Thursday 26 February 2015 03:02 PM, Anriette Esterhuysen wrote:
> Michael, many in CS have worked very hard for recognition that the
> internet should be governed in the public interest. For many years.
>
> Getting that text into the NETmundial statement took work, but we got it
> there and that is why I think it is short-sighted to dismiss that text.

Anriette, in my humble view this text about 'Internet being a global 
resource that has to be managed in public interest' got in there because 
people were haggling over terms like Internet as a pulbic good, or a 
commons (which were indeed the politically meaningful terms) , which was 
obviously resisted by the usual suspects, and moving the words like 
resource and public around, the involved people reached this somewhat 
meaningless phrase. I may be wrong, in which case I am open to be corrected.

In fact 'governing something in public interest' is a bit of oxymoron, 
because once a subject is recognised for public governance, as Internet 
was by WSIS, it is but obvious that it will be governed in public 
interest (what else ?).

Further, I am not aware of, as you say, the long struggles either of 
general civil society or APC for a recognition that the Internet should 
be governed in public interest - simply because it is kind of obvious . 
Yes, APC was at one time very active to push the Internet as public good 
agenda, although I have not heard of it in the last many years. We 
should not confuse 'public good' and 'governance in public interest' , 
not that I am saying that you are confusing the two - just clarifying.
>
> It is a very important baseline from which we should never retreat and
> on which we can build.
For the above reason, I do not think of it at all as an important 
baseline. Much much more progressive language is written in WSIS docs, 
starting with Geneva Declaration of Principles. especially rights based 
language, and issues like access to knowledge... These concrete 
principles was much more meaningful rather than just professing a vague 
'public interest'.

But of course just my view...

parminder

>
> http://netmundial.br/netmundial-multistakeholder-statement/
>
> "NETmundial identified a set of common principles and important values
> that contribute for an inclusive, multistakeholder, effective,
> legitimate, and evolving Internet governance framework and recognized
> that the Internet is a global resource which should be managed in the
> public interest."
>
> Anriette
>
>
>
> On 26/02/2015 04:12, Michael Gurstein wrote:
>> Contrary to the position of so much of CS in IG, Mr. Obama appears to be set on developing a regulatory framework for the US that ensures that the Internet will operate in the public interest.
>>
>>   
>>
>>   <http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/25/technology/path-clears-for-net-neutrality-ahead-of-fcc-vote.html> http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/25/technology/path-clears-for-net-neutrality-ahead-of-fcc-vote.html
>>
>>   
>>
>> M
>>
>>   
>>
>>
>>
>>
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