Friday, December 17, 2010

What Could Go Wrong? UN Wants to Regulate the Internet

Get your stinking paws off my Internet, you damn dirty bureaucrats. It's bad enough we've got our own Commerce Department trying to sneakily create a code of conduct on the web and the absurd push for so-called net neutrality, now we have the thugs from the United Nations looking to regulate free speech.
The United Nations is considering whether to set up an inter-governmental working group to harmonise global efforts by policy makers to regulate the internet.

Establishment of such a group has the backing of several countries, spearheaded by Brazil.

At a meeting in New York on Wednesday, representatives from Brazil called for an international body made up of Government representatives that would to attempt to create global standards for policing the internet - specifically in reaction to challenges such as WikiLeaks.

The Brazilian delegate stressed, however, that this should not be seen as a call for an "takeover" of the internet.

India, South Africa, China and Saudi Arabia appeared to favour a new possible over-arching inter-government body.
Oh great, just what we need: China and the oil ticks looking to hold sway over the Internet.

While I'm no fan of Wikileaks and the damage they're causing, using that as an excuse to infringe upon the rights of Internet users isn't going to garner much favor anywhere.

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