UN Summit Mulls Regulation Of The Internet

by Glen Shapiro, LawAndTax-News.com, New York

30 March 2004

At a meeting last week attended by around 200 diplomats, members of interest groups, and technology firm representatives, the United Nations began to discuss the role that it should play in the regulation of the internet.

Examining issues such as the enforcement of copyright law, privacy, spam, and the resolution of internet-related business disputes, the multilateral body subjected the role of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to especial scrutiny, suggesting that it may be too closely allied with the world's wealthier countries, which dominate the internet's organisational structure.

Several international and US-based organisations, including the International Chamber of Commerce and the US Commerce Department are strongly opposing greater UN involvement in the governance of the internet, arguing that it would increase the bureaucratic demands on end users, and would stifle innovation.

Speaking on Thursday, UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan lent his support to the argument that the current system is dominated by the United States, Canada, Japan, and much of Europe, arguing that the internet's regulatory and organisational structures "must be made accessible and responsive to the needs of all the world's people".

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