Not satisfied with finally getting having access to blackberry messages for ‘security’ surveillance, the Indian government has formally put a proposal that a UN body should take over the running of the whole internet in front of the UN General Assembly in New York. Basically they have asked for a new UN body called the United Nations Committee for Internet-Related Policies (CIRP) to be created which would then develop Internet policies, oversee all Internet standards bodies and policy organizations, negotiate Internet-related treaties, and act as an arbitrator in Internet-related disputes.
In theory this sounds really good but in practice its a really bad idea. The whole idea behind the internet is to have a system that is not centrally controlled so there is no one point of failure or control, now if this new body is brought into the picture they will start enforcing rules that may not make sense to the majority of people using the net but are forced to follow because they are told to by a central agency.
Keep in mind that the folks ‘administering’ the internet are the same folks who are trying to get legislation’s/treaties like ACTA and E-PARASITE passed. And don’t forget the three strikes law from France or other similar insane policies that politicians that have no clue about the internet and are still sticking to the old ways of doing things want to enact.
Do you really want these folks to have formal control of the internet? I sure don’t. If this becomes reality maybe its time for folks to start building an alternate internet without the ‘big brother’ or the politicians.
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