I've mentioned before that countries want to censor the Internet (http://streamabout.blogspot.ie/2012/09/india-turkey-start-to-ban-social-media.html).
We know India tried it, Turkey did and more recently, Syria. Even the Russians are at it now. All the great bastions of democracy.
If they curtail Social Media usage, they curtail protests so they want to be able to control it. To delete websites, to deny access, to shut Social Media.
Now they have all come together under the euphemism of a Conference - The World Conference on International Telecommunications and a lot of it is behind closed doors.
Google have stated that its purpose is to "increase censorship and regulate the Internet" and it is. Russia is using overt proposals to help them censor it. One proposal is about definitions because if they can redefine "Internet" or "Internet traffic" as something else, they can control it under different, existing legislation.
Secondly, they're trying to move control away from private bodies such as ICANN and into The United Nations where all the countries have control. The Russians, long known for their freedoms for citizens (not), call for "national governments to have sovereign rights to regulate the national Internet segment". Which would allow surveillance just for starters.
China, surprise surprise, supports them, The USA does not.
Of course, the Internet works and as they say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it but this is about Governments exercising control over the web.
We should be against it.
And we should show it up for what it is.
The Internet has allowed people in these maniacal countries, to express their freedoms and their opposition. It's a lifeline for them and more important perhaps, gives the world a voice.
Needs to be stopped.
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