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sectopdownet-00_abstract.txt@992e66662baa (annotated)

sectopdownet-00_abstract.txt

Thu, 08 May 2014 19:18:22 +0200

author

Michael Schloh von Bennewitz <michael@schloh.com>

date

Thu, 08 May 2014 19:18:22 +0200

changeset 0

992e66662baa

child 1

480cc9d68880

permissions

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Commit initial raw text of resemblance to a distilled Net Mundial report.

michael@0	1	Testing the integrity of US Internet dominance
michael@0	2	Michael Schloh von Bennewitz <michael@schloh.com>
michael@0	3	-------------------------------------------------
michael@0	4	Events concerning unbridled surveillance and digital oppression in the name of state sponsored security enforcement have quite a few groups up in arms. Since the Internet's inception, the keys to the Internet kingdom have been kept in the United States for mostly traditional reasons. This is changing however, as industry, other UN member states, and organizations like UNESCO begin to collaborate in terms of laying a foundation for modern Internet governance.
michael@0	5
michael@0	6	The Internet is already managed to some degree by regional authorities like RIPE (Europe), ARIN (North america), LACNIC (Latin america, AfriNIC (Africa), and APNIC (Asia). But ICANN and other similar United States organizations have usually had a great deal of control over them.
michael@0	7
michael@0	8	Historically, the United States' influence over the Internet began with it's creation by DARPA in the 1960s, and waned around the time of NSA dragnets and other disgraceful domestic spying in the early 2000s. With public knowlege of Internet freedoms being kicked in the knee, the Internet's open nature strangled by surveillance, as well as commercialization by industry (like social networks erecting barriers or storing human identities) several groups interested in reclaiming the democratic Internet have surfaced.
michael@0	9
michael@0	10	Frequent scandals have led Internet management groups (even many in the United States like ICANN) to see the writing on the wall. A handful of organizations addressed misconduct by convening a meeting in late 2013 resulting in the Montevideo Statement on the Future of Internet Cooperation. Governments like Iceland's have responded to abuses of US Internet dominance by integrating protections for whistleblowers and investigative journalists into the country's constitution. But perhaps the boldest step of all came in light of documents alleging that the NSA committed industrial espionage on Brazil's national energy company Petrobras although it was clearly not a security threat.
michael@0	11
michael@0	12	Brazil has responded to this and similar attacks partially through legislation providing citizens with a bill of digital rights called the Marco Civil da Internet. The creator of the World Wide Web Sir Tim Berners-Lee gave his symbolic approval to the bill, stating that Brazil would "usher in a new era - one where citizens' rights in every country around the world are protected by digital bills of rights." The Marco Civil, or 'constitution for the Internet' as known by some, was overwelmingly passed by the Brazilian Congress.
michael@0	13
michael@0	14	In fact, several governments have recognized the value of a democratic Internet in these terms. Brazillian President Dilma Rousseff and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have led international efforts to limit mass electronic surveillance, and Brazil will host a global conference on the future of Internet governance in April 2014 (this month.) Two dozen countries as well as groups like UNESCO and industry will take part to shape the Internet's future.
michael@0	15
michael@0	16	But this seemingly easy path to a more democratic Internet is paved with the carcasses of efforts at taming the Internet's wilder side, and some of these efforts have been dubious in nature. Security expert Bruce Schneier remarks that while Brazil's response to NSA spying is rational, it is likely to embolden "some of the worst countries out there to seek more control over their citizens' Internet." Russia, China, Iran and Syria could redouble their efforts at manipulating or blocking democratic guarantees of speech and citizens' ability to publish content.
michael@0	17
michael@0	18	Notwithstanding, each new indicator linking United States' waning Internet dominance with rogue policy and destruction of hard won information freedom puts wind in the sails of groups seeking renewed freedom from Internet surveillance and other abuse.
michael@0	19
michael@0	20	Even industry has taken notice of this and moved towards isolation, increasingly choosing local network, storage, and service providers. Common sense is testing the integrity of United States Internet dominance, and just how long it can maintain its grip on the Internet while other governments take collaborative action may not be under its control. Without a radical policy change, future generations inside and outside the United States may consider Internet history a paradise lost.