TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: UN Panel Aims to End Internet Tug of War by July

UN Panel Aims to End Internet Tug of War by July

Lisa Minter (lisa_minter2001@yahoo.com)
23 Feb 2005 07:11:09 -0800

GENEVA (Reuters) - A U.N.-sponsored panel aims to settle a
long-running tug of war for control of the Internet by July and
propose solutions to problems such as cyber crime and email
spam, panel leaders announced.

The panel, set up in December 2003, will lay groundwork for a final
decision to be taken in Tunis in November at a U.N.-sponsored World
Summit on the Information Society, where global control of the world
wide web may be decided.

Right now, the most recognizable Internet governance body is a
California-based non-profit company, the International Corporation for
Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

But developing countries want an international body, such as the
U.N.'s International Telecommunication Union (ITU), to have control
over governance -- from distributing Web site domains to fighting
spam.

"There is an issue that is out there and that needs to be resolved,"
said Nitin Desai, chairman of working group and special adviser to
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Incorporated in 1998, ICANN oversees management of the Internet's
crucial addressing system which matches numerical addresses to
familiar Web site addresses.

While its oversight has been confined to technical matters, critics
say that it is subject to U.S. political influence.

The ITU, a 138-year-old trade body that among other things established
country code rules for international telephone calls, is seen by
developing countries as being better able to address their needs.

All countries want to counter spam -- unsolicited commercial messages
that can flood email accounts by the hundreds and burden the web with
unwanted traffic.

NOTE: For more telecom/internet/networking/computer news from the daily
media, check out our feature 'Telecom Digest Extra' each day at
http://telecom-digest.org/td-extra . New articles daily.

*** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material the
use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright
owner. This Internet discussion group is making it available without
profit to group members who have expressed a prior interest in
receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the
understanding of literary, educational, political, and economic
issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I
believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material
as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish
to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go
beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright
owner, in this instance, Reuters Limited.

For more information go to:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml

Post Followup Article Use your browser's quoting feature to quote article into reply
Go to Next message: Lisa Minter: "Singapore Unveils Plan to Battle 'Cyber Terror'"
Go to Previous message: Geoffrey Welsh: "Re: Verizon Plans to Offer "Naked DSL" on 4/5 of its Wirelines"
Next in thread: LB@notmine.com: "Re: UN Panel Aims to End Internet Tug of War by July"
May be reply: LB@notmine.com: "Re: UN Panel Aims to End Internet Tug of War by July"
TELECOM Digest: Home Page