UN considers panel of governments to set policies for policing the Internet

UN considers panel of governments to set policies for policing the Internet

www.rawstory.com

A United Nations task force formed last week said it was considering the creation of a new inter-governmental working group to help further international cooperation on policies to police the Internet.

(visit the link for the full news article)

The first thing I thought of when I read this was Jay Rockefeller's infamous quote, "The Internet should never have existed", or that old war pig Brzenski telling a CFR meeting about his fears of the "global awakening".

The article is long and goes into a lot of excellent detail and is worth reading. Opposing this move are obvious people like Pirate's Bay, but also companies like Google whose very business depends on a relatively free, open Internet.

It also talks about dotP2P and P2P DNS, alternatives to the domain registration system, which is vulnerable to government takeover.

Google's Vint Cerf, an Internet pioneer, had this to say:

"Today, I have signed that petition on Google’s behalf because we don’t believe governments should be allowed to grant themselves a monopoly on Internet governance," Google's Vint Cerf, continued. "The current bottoms-up, open approach works—protecting users from vested interests and enabling rapid innovation. Let’s fight to keep it that way."

The article comes from Raw Story, which I find to be a consistently reliable news source, though with a libertarian-progressive bent. Nothing wrong with that!

My thoughts: They are trying to lock down and censor more and more of the Internet, no doubt about it. This garbage UN committee is more evidence of that.

They already have gone after pornographers and pirates, because who will defend them? Now they are going after leakers of classified information. Next they will go after alternative news media, demanding broadcast licenses that corporations can control.

Eventually you will have to have a verified, publicly-recorded login attached to your name (like Facebook) to access sites, and only sites with licenses and money (government run propaganda machines like TIME Magazine) will be able to publish information.

www.rawstory.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

One the whole it looks like a positive move that is being taking. The amount of peer review between all the nations of the world is pretty hard core solid, especially with country protections being taken. Some countries may take the great wall of china approach, while other have a more free and open approach. The global oversight will ensure that any stories strong enough will get the attention required, while providing the state protection to defend against hostilities and maintain culture. I like it.

Well, the truth of the matter is this: TPTB should never have given us the Internet, that is our greatest weapon these days. I can find out something they are doing, post it on a few boards, email it to my contacts, in a few minutes perhaps several thousand people can see it. As for shutting down the Internet, I don't think that is possible, too many small servers. TBTP has to have some form of Internet to maintain communications and run their machinery and weapons systems. So the fact is they cannot just turn it off.

And it begins....I could see this comming for a while now. TPTB want to be able to control the internet and I think that they will find that they underestimated the amount of opposition they will face when they take away the version we have now.

S&F

Originally posted by kwakakev
One the whole it looks like a positive move that is being taking. The amount of peer review between all the nations of the world is pretty hard core solid, especially with country protections being taken. Some countries may take the great wall of china approach, while other have a more free and open approach. The global oversight will ensure that any stories strong enough will get the attention required, while providing the state protection to defend against hostilities and maintain culture. I like it.

You're certainly entitled to your opinion. If you want more government control in your life, more direction over what you see and do, you should be pleased with the direction the world is going in. I'm not.

I see from your profile you're in Australia, are you in favor of all the failed attempts at censorship there? Some of the most draconian laws in the Western world were put forward by your politicians, including a law banning anonymous political comments on blogs! Was that a good policy, do you think?

I also see you're a member of ATS - do you enjoy the site? With all the anti-government and conspiracy discussion here, do you think it needs some global oversight? Some firm guidelines from on high about what is and what is not appropriate for the masses?

we all saw the writing on the wall.. we knew that was what wikileaks was going for from the get go.. I just wonder how much he is being payed? I really don't think they can shut it off but they can police it.. your going to start to see people computers wink out soon.. than you will know that it has began

reply to post by Nicorette

They are trying to lock down and censor more and more of the Internet, no doubt about it. This garbage UN committee is more evidence of that.

They are indeed. It's a great time for creating 'jobs for the boys' too.

'Hmmm? Let me think. We'll need liaison officers, hierarchy, Dept head, new offices and a budget. Our remit will be to support Govt policies and release a costly report on demand that justifies our existence. We'd better consult with media corporations to make sure we're on the right tracks too...'

Vultures.

It's been coming for years and years and is satirised every other day on slashdot. One day, we'll probably look back on these years as the heyday of freedom. There's no reason to panic just yet as I've done in the past, we'll see these committees, quangos and agencies 'killing the net' time and again.

On the bright side, Govt committees are frigging useless. Their intervention could make the current state of the Web last longer?! I never thought I'd be grateful for a lousy politician. Imagine the alternative? Someone like Murdoch could break the Internet in weeks if he had the power to. Pay-per-click websites and legal letters piling up on doorsteps. Oh the horror...

reply to post by Reaper2137
They CAN just shut it down. Never underestimatethe abbilities of TPTB. The takeover of the internet will happen in stages I`m sure. I think we are heading toward dark times.

reply to post by Nicorette

you should be pleased with the direction the world is going in. I'm not.

Neither am I. If you want to know why check out www.abovetopsecret.com...

I see from your profile you're in Australia, are you in favor of all the failed attempts at censorship there? Some of the most draconian laws in the Western world were put forward by your politicians, including a law banning anonymous political comments on blogs! Was that a good policy, do you think?

I like to to think I had I part to play in those failed attempts. I made my opinion known to those who where at the tip of the spear in the fight. Time will tell: www.kwakakev.com...

also see you're a member of ATS - do you enjoy the site?

Like any forum it has you good and bad points. It did show a very proactive approach to the wikileaks debate and is part of the reason why I am here. It also has a very long history and reputation through out the net. Also the name - Above top secret, very cool. The ability to debate topics is also very good and some bright sparks are here. Main thing is we are allowed to express those points with the best ones winning at the end of the day, maybe?

With all the anti-government and conspiracy discussion here, do you think it needs some global oversight?

Well, there is already some global oversight here. I am Aussie, You Scandinavia, plenty of Americans as well, probably a few others if you check all the members.

Some firm guidelines from on high about what is and what is not appropriate for the masses?

Wether you like it or not, the Internet does need global collaboration to work. Yeah the world is a crazy messed up place at times but while it is rotating and I am here I... I care...

The way I read it (not as a conspiracy), they just want to stop internet crime, not censor the internet. There are thousands of identity thefts, and money scams, etc. all over the internet which thieves in other countries do get away with unpunished because after the crime is committed there is no way to track them down in another country. The internet is like a virtual world with no type of authority to help stop crime.

"Policing the internet" just means they are going to allow the internet (freedom of posting), however, bring order to it crime wise.

Many of you don't know or understand the bowels of the internet. Most of you only know your e-mail, your favorite entertainment sites, and forums, and your most trusted online stores.

What you have to keep in mind is that the internet is probably 90% e-commerce. There is millions of businesses making money transactions daily on the internet, and the internet is lacking authority or "police". Imagine a mall without security cameras or security or police. Thieves would flock to that mall, and prey on helpless victims. AND THEY DO on the internet. The internet is a con-artist and thieves playground, especially if they are hackers...

I actually do see a need for more "police" on the internet, and communication between countries, but for real reasons. To stop real crimes.

Thinking as a conspiracy theorist I could complain and ask "whats next?" like everyone does, and worry about censorship, but I just don't see that happening. People will always be able to create a webpage and put what they want on it... if they block that then they block all future advances of the internet, and they don't want that. Too much money to be made there.

When they shut down the internet we'll see the birth of something better Governments couldn't control.

There are "Free to Air" satellites beaming free satellite tv down to Earth.

Have a server feed blog posts to the "Free to Air" satellite. People could plug a cheapo "free to air" satellite dish/receiver into their computer and receive AboveTopSecret.com's forum for example...free from that satellite. To post anything you would use your dialup modem and submit a post...then disconnect.

The "Free to Air" satellite would immediately update and show your post.

Look how easy it was to create a new means of communication/network. If they kill the internet they will create a information revolution.

Isn't it odd that Direct TV doesn't offer a chat forum for their satellite television using this method? They could easily accomplish making their very own 'internet' using what I described above.

With a plethora of separate networks popping up the Fed's and UN would have wished they kept it to the one internet we used to have....back when they had full control.

You could even get a Ham radio and using sounds the human ear could not pick up, and transmit data back and forth between computers. I doubt the FCC would ever even figure out you had such a secret network. Maybe it's already being done.

reply to post by Nicorette


Sorry, missed these questions, long day, few drinks...

Some of the most draconian laws in the Western world were put forward by your politicians, including a law banning anonymous political comments on blogs! Was that a good policy, do you think?

Too right, we had the white Australia policy up until the 1960's, Women got the right vote in the 1970's (roughly). We still treat our Aboriginals like crap and against UN civil rights from a bunch of bad ass lower class convicts pushed out of England because it was full. The on and on and on going border protection debate just made me feel like throwing up and the tossing tv out the window. But now that 30 or so people have died innocently in the crossing from a nation we are blowing up based on crap some might find a heart. Wait and see.

But then every nation has it's dark history, even the animal trade has some very gruesome and horrific stories. Some of this I learnt in school to help us not make the same mistakes. Some from experience and friends, Some from tv. As for banning anonymous political blogs, never heard about that one. Did get totally disillusioned with the media and went bush for a while. As for what I think, if you can't be honest about it you should not do it. In terms of Internet blogs, the comments are more important then a name.

So what is you dark past / current cultural issues?

reply to post by Nicorette


When I first approached this thread it was with a global perspective and a luxury that Australia has provided by holding an open internet policy. When discussing the 'great wall of China' it was flippant (not thought about). There are many countries around the world that do have very strong Internet regulation and what this news highlights is that things will not change for these countries. I have not experienced a culture that has strong censorship so it is a little out of my experience. This it a topic I do care about and is why I am back aging reviewing it.

First thing, I would not worry about Jay Rockefeller, he is more banker than coder. Also your quote about goggle will not be considered in the negotiations as the countries and not industry are in control of this show. Goggle is a leader and may have some indirect influence, but it won't be their discretion at the end. The precedent / relationship between goggle and China is the general balance that will be struck for the more hard line countries. As for what will be locked down and censored it is at the desecration of the national government. So basically the status quo will remain. This is what I meant about maintaining culture. For a government already in tight lock down it is up to the will of internal political forces to alter this policy. Yes it is a hot debate, but the country has spoken and it is now the primary stakeholder for this decisions. By providing this separation between a world wide free for all and national sovereignty it allows for the next point to develop.

What I was happy to see was a separation of DNS servers between countries. This mean that America would not have been able to touch the wikileaks site if it was hosted in a different country. Such a order would have to go through diplomatic channels and be subject to review by the host nation. For international relations I see this as a good thing. Any responsible nation would already have laws to shut down offensive material. But if another incident like Tanimen Square or the Iraq diary's was to surface, it does provide for greater global scrutiny once the information is out of the troubled nation. The local population may never know about it, but the other countries will.

From my understanding I could also see the door left open so any troubled messages will be able to find a way out of a troubled nation. A good site to check out is Reporters Sans Frontieres (en.rsf.org...), like doctors without borders but for journalists. There is some good information available there if you think privacy, security and government crackdowns are a problem. Wikileaks is based on the technology provided at Reporters Sans Frontieres.

Overall what this news item highlights is that nations are now on watch from peer review, not the public from a UN big brother. This is good I think. There are still some countries that are going to need time to adapt to a more open society. I respect the rights of the individual, but culture is a tough and difficult subject mixed with technology and it needs it's own time to develop. Overall, I still like it.

This is not a surprise is it? Watching the machinations and implementations of various agendas is a brilliant policy. Trying to change the system from within can often be mistaken as the same thing. The internet is many things to many people, but one thing it is in absolute terms, is a global ( and local ) tool for spying/monitoring and much more.

The whole "wired" world is a spy machine.. from cell/mobile phones and devices to the worldwide web to the internet. Being off the grid is becoming a clearer and more distinct "difference", as the "wired/grid" system grows. Some of the PNAC statements in Pax Americana mention the need for controlling the internet, but what mystery in such statements? This is not a surprise?

Cecil Rhodes mentioned "the free press" as a tool that tells the people what to think and in his Manifesto, to create a secret society, is it a mystery that he understood "owning" the press? The basic Psychological Operations, the p r firm, the marketing and advertising that sells MUCH MORE then some sugar water pop drink. Such departments can sell you your identity, or as someone in this thread mentioned... "Culture"....

Manufactured reality, like manufactured "cool" for the young, can be so subtle that we can often find ourselves "participating" with and within it's various created scenarios and NOT ours. Think of some basic rules in any p r firm or psi-ops crew worth their salt, such as "It's what people believe and not the truth that matters".... Image OVER substance. There's a myriad of techniques and tools in this field. Some as simple as building the web without a domain strictly for children ( such as .kid ). How many suggestions are backing a "let's control the internet to protect children" policy? Meanwhile who in the same breath expects the internet to be "safe" and formatted for a 6 year old? The vast wired spy machine... get em while they're young.

It is brilliant to watch the various agenda's played out, many of which are hidden agendas of course, until they're finally exposed or revealed or merely taken for granted. and though someone mentioned Culture in the thread... WHAT culture? Marshall McLuhan, in his Medium is the Message, pointed out that content doesn't matter... the medium does. This is very evident with this thread. the telegraph, telephone, trains and cars etc.. all "had affect" and changed the world, but it was the telephone changing communication and TIME as the car did... the car changed distant and time... 50 minutes to town becomes 4 minutes to town... mattered NOT who is in the car, or the message, it was the medium, or the affect and car and changing distance and time that mattered.

Sorry.. lol. It is difficult to relay Marshall McLuhan even for the initiated in his work. But the internet has long been expected and considered among the McLuhan philosophies.... The internet is more then the WWW, but all in all, it is all the medium and the medium that matters. Not the content.

I hope I haven't strayed too far from this thread, but I will endeavor to return. I wonder... Is this thread about a tweaking of the MEDIUM more than the Message? Some people claim a chat room isn't the real world, more the power to em, but others claim a chat room IS the real world. No matter what is done to the whole medium, it can't exist without people, but people can, have and will exist without the internet.