Russia and China Withdraw Bid For Internet Control

judgecorp writes "Russia, China and other nations have withdrawn proposals to take control over the Internet within their borders. The proposals, handed to the World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT) on Friday, caused widespread dismay and protest. The WCIT event in Dubai, run by the UN agency ITU, is working on new International Telecommunications Regulations (ITRs) which are due for their first revision since the emergence of the mass Internet. The line-up of nations wanting to formalize their power to restrict the Internet included Russia, China, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Sudan and Egypt. Their proposal has been withdrawn without explanation, an ITU spokesperson confirmed."

Uh oh

[Jetra]

I think our "friends" may have learned some tricks from here in America. Prepare for drafts with a lot of double-speak that is going to be pushed quickly and with as little media attention as possible.

Withdrawn without explanation

[the grace of R'hllor]

So in exchange for shutting up about it, they'll probably get it officiously, thanks to nations who also want full control but didn't formally ask for it (ie, all of them?).

Or am I being paranoid?

Russia and China

[Anonymous Coward]

Allowing Russia and China to have any say over anyone or anything is tantamount to giving the fox access to the chicken coop.

The Pattern

[ios and web coder]

1) Make a huge noise about implementing draconian measures.

2) Withdraw these measures after the hue and cry.

3) Propose more "reasonable" measures that will, after the dust settles, actually end up giving more control.

This is how our gas prices keep going up. They jack the prices up by a dollar, then back down 80 cents. Repeat as necessary.

Re:Uh oh

[dintech]

"The global body didn't let us do what we wanted so we're just going to fucking go our own way anyway."
Looks like they learned from the WMD/Iraq War debacle...

Re:Close shave

[Anonymous Coward]

lets see now shall we, Afghanistan is still an ongoing diaster, Israel and palastine are going at like there's no tomorrow with Iran standing none to calmly on the side, china and japan hate each others guts, North Korean is trying to blow the South Koreans to hell and back and lets not even go into everything that's happening in Africa

Re:Withdrawn without explanation

[vlm]

Do they really have to ask, as long as it's within their borders?

Extradition treaties. You live in .us and uploaded a wedding picture of your wife showing bare ankles to facebook? Hopefully the religious authorities in Afghanistan will be lenient with your extradited there for punishment ... all in exchange for other countries extraditing I.P. violators to the USA.

The USA is not perfect but....

[cryfreedomlove]

The cast of countries that submitted this proposal all share a common trait of disrespecting the freedom of expression of their own citizens. This disrespect is rooted in fear. These governments see their own citizenry as a threat to their own power, especially if those citizens can read anything they want on the global internet.

They already have control, of themselves

[Kludge]

I really don't get all this "control of the internet" hoopla. The reality is that anyone can run a DNS server. These countries can run one of their own if they don't like ours. They can also put whatever firewall they choose on the lines going in and out of their countries. They already have as much control as they choose to have. What is the point of having some international governing body? I'm not getting it.

Re:Withdrawn without explanation

[Opportunist]

It's nice that America exports Democracy, but I'd say they should at least keep a little bit for themselves, I notice a shortage.