FBI Shows UN How Internet Governance is Really Done

Wrong.
This IS global internet governance because it involves the use of international treaties among governments in a way that affects the basic operations of Internet connectivity. If taking down an entire string of websites because of the content published is not internet governance, what is? (the content may or may not have been illegal, that is not the point)

"Routine police investigation?" Not at all. It's extraterritorial, for one thing; routine police investigations involve authorities acting within their own jurisdiction. What's even less "routine" about this case is the indirect ussage of the MLT: the FBI had no interest in the case at all; the Swiss and Italian law enforcement authorities were using a USA-UK agreement to gain access to the servers of a US company with operations in England. Globalized law.

If ISPs get a lot of these kind of cases it underscores my main point: so many people in the US hear about the UN and WSIS getting involved in "Internet governance" and they start to scream "omigod, governments are intefering with the [otherwise free] internet!" And this is kinda dumb and borderline hypocritical, isn't it? When US government agencies can cooperate to suppress expression on the Internet and impose gag orders on everyone involved based on (nontransparent) requests by law enforcement authorities in other countries, it is obvious that we already have substantial means of government intervention that can be and is being used to suppress certain kinds of content on the Internet.

The real issue is, when did the public get any kind of input into that system of governance? Whose interests does it serve? Is it being abused?

In our discussions of Internet governance and threats from government to the free operation of the Internet, let's stop being distracted by scare talk about Chinese censorship - let's look at who's actions are REALLY haveing a global impact on the Internet - it's the good old USA.

[ Reply to This | Parent ]

one more try by Mueller Saturday October 16 2004, @07:29PM
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