Should the U.S. "control" the Internet?

[Dude_Doc]

An article from CNN:

http://edition.cnn.com/2005/TECH/internet/10/20/congress.internet.reut/index.html

In short, it asks if the US should keep the internet "in the US", or if control over it (or, rather, survelliance and management) should be turned over to the United Nations (since the internet is a global body).

I am for the international perspective, although it really doesn't matter so long the internet is free from any country's cencors and manipulation.

Views?

[TMA_1]

I might sound like a monster, but I am still a nationalist, and I know how influential our country is with the Internet. I think it raises red flags when you have nations like Iran screaming at the unfairness of the situation... If we let the U.N. have control, it would be complete pandemonium. I think that it is inevitable that the control of domain names and such will eventuall go to a global body, but I dont want to see it happen right now.

[EWS]

I think we Scots should have control over it.  We created it, we just created it in America because ou government wouldn't give them funding.

The internet shouldn't be regulated, everyone should be given the ability to get access to it.

[Edric O]

From the article, it becomes clear that the issue here isn't really "control of the internet" (since no one holds that), but control over domain names. Currently, a US agency, ICANN, does the job of associating websites to domain names.

ICANN's legitimacy really depends on the good will of the international community. If a country wanted to, it could create its own agency to assign domain names. Thus the internet would be different in different parts of the world.

It's not really up to the US to decide whether it keeps control of domain names or not. The other countries in the world could come together and collectively reject ICANN's legitimacy, setting up their own international agency in its place. The only thing the US could do in response would be to refuse to recognize that international agency. So you'd end up with two internets: One for the US and one for the rest of the world.

[Andrew]

Skynet will eventually control it.

How does the United States control the internet in china?

No one really controls the internet (other than internet providers, but then I can still directly connect to another computer using the phone line, which is still considered the internet).

[nampigai]

the dutch control the internet

[Caid Ivik]

This is control over internet: http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=12665

[TMA_1]

heh, thought of a hair-brained sci fi idea. What if there were hyperspace wars between different countries over virtual domain? Nobody take this idea!!! I like it and I want to make something of it now.lol May not be a great idea, but it sounds really neat.

seriously though, could this ever eventually spark some sort of conflict?

[GUNWOUNDS]

heh, thought of a hair-brained sci fi idea. What if there were hyperspace wars between different countries over virtual domain? Nobody take this idea!!! I like it and I want to make something of it now.lol May not be a great idea, but it sounds really neat.

seriously though, could this ever eventually spark some sort of conflict?

Sorry buddy.. it was part of one of the plots of Nod vs GDI in the old Command and Conquer game endings.  They beat ya to it.

[TMA_1]

damn it. lol figures though. sounds like an awesome idea. What were the details of the storyline? IM me about it, it sounds kinda cool. :)

[Caid Ivik]

you both aren't much to cyberpunk...

[Dude_Doc]

Ever heard about Wargasm?

[Caid Ivik]

I heard them...once...enough...but what does it have with internet control?

about cybernetic warfare: http://www.rushkoff.com/cyberia/part5text.html