Hi Zack,
A belated response. This issue is a/the primary subject of discussion at the annual UN sponsored Internet Governance Forum <http://www.intgovforum.org/> and the associated e-list <mailto:[email protected]> of the Internet Governance civil society caucus. I've covered some of these issues from a critical perspective in my blog <http://gurstein.workpress.com/> (search on "Internet governance"). Best, Mike From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Zack Brisson Sent: Wednesday, July 17, 2013 5:09 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [liberationtech] Critically Examining "What Would Happen" if the U.N. (or another international body) Administered the Internet? Informed minds of Lib-Tech, During previous heated discussions <http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/dec/14/telecoms-treaty-internet-u nregulated> of a potential "UN Takeover" of Internet administration, I never critically challenged the claim that it would lead to a set of de-centralized sub-Internets, allowing autocratic regimes to greatly increase their ability to censor/shut-down/monitor Internet usage. But I've seen the claim now re-made in the context of Snowden and Russia <http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/001057.html> , which has raised new questions about the validity of the assertions. Does anyone know of a critical examination of the set of related ideas? Have there been nuanced and balanced explorations of how the U.N. (or another international organ) could serve as reasonably equitable hub for a multi-stakeholder Internet from actors others than those with a clear position biasing their analysis? Having worked closely with the U.N., I am under no illusions as its infallibility or consistent effectiveness. But is this "End of the Internet/Internet Freedom" truly an inevitable outcome for either technical or political reasons? I would appreciate any resources or perspective that those on Liberation Tech could share. I am not familiar enough with network engineering to fully understand all the technical aspects of relevance, but know enough that I should be able to interpret most well-written pieces of analysis. Many thanks for your consideration. Zack
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