Google Rallies Opposition to U.N. Internet Treaty

[Tiger Sora]

Who gave the UN this kind of power! I demand a world wide referendum revoking any power the UN has over the internet.
The UN is a broken system anyways, toss them in the trash I say.
Leave the internet alone. Its fine

 

[GiglameshSoulEater]

what concerns me is the potential for this to turn into a world wide SOPA style thing eventually or even have people disappearing in the middle of the night due to private emails they send to friends condemning a govenment being turned over

I like how you went from censoring the internet to midnight abductions:
Today the internet.
Tomorrow, gulags!

 

[shadowstriker86]

Hmm the u.n. came up with an idea to censor the internet? aren't these the same nimrods that sent rapists to africa claiming they were going to help out poor people?

 

[Tombsite]

Just to try and play devils advocate.
I can see why countries like Russia and China a not all that happy that the internet, which is becoming more and more integral to our society, is more or less fully under the control of the US. Some will say that it is because they want to censor all the "free speech" coming from out side their countries (and that may indeed be the case) but I would like to remind every one about the case with the British extradition. The US claimed that all .com domains where under their jurisdiction! A lot of Europeans where not to happy to hear that (those who heard it).

The internet is important to all of us and the thing we have right now is working fine, but let us not forget that it is pretty much in the firm control if the US. And while I do not, currently, have any reason to fear this situation it is not something we should take for granted.


THAT SAID!

This does not look like the best solution. Then again the UN, while it is almost nothing but and inefficient bureaucracy with little power to enforce its few decisions, is still our best bet so far for making any truly international agreement.

 

[Awexsome]

Google quite frankly should be sending cooperation to getting this done right instead of trying to rally opposition for it.

Individual countries are just going to lock down the internet a bit more on their own and the offenders will look for loopholes or jurisdiction arguments to get around them resulting in tighter restrictions in a never ending cycle. A U.N. or worldwide agreement on something like this is sorely needed because the internet needs and will have more regulations and supervision put on it. Question is will each country try to do it individually or try to do it unified and the U.N. is the best way we have to try and do that.

It's ability for easy international cooperation and communication is unmatched however it's ease to commit crime is also unmatched on a global scale. The world needs to be on the same page to deal with the type of people who would abuse the internet and be shielded with every loophole and jurisdiction argument they can cook up to keep getting away with harming people or entire other countries.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Gotta love it how they all want to secure their own control while waving a banner of freedom
Governments aren't to be trusted with this but nor are the companies, let's not forget that SOPA, PIPA, ACTA and whatever might yet come were all conjured up and forced onto governments by the companies looking for control in the first place.

Ya Google will do for now however they care about their hides only, sofar we were lucky their business hinged on open channels but should that ever change this will be one nasty bed fellow.

 

[OldNewNewOld]

We have China and Russia supporting this law. Does anyone seriously think that law would be any good for the internet?
I'm on Google's side on this one.

 

[Albino Boo]

"For example, at the Internet Governance Forum, anyone can attend and anyone can speak - a government official has the same influence as an individual."

Google have really not thought that idea through have they. It costs money to physically travel, so the Chinese government, or google for that matter, could pack out the forum with its own supporters. Any physical forum would just become full of paid lobbyists and special interest groups. Even if you managed to write rules stopping that, the result would be different depending on where it is held. If the forum is held in Palo Alto it would a different result than one held in Tel Aviv or New Delhi. I agree that there are problems with the Russian proposal but the reality is a hippyish forum isn't going to stop those.

 

[Shaidz]

JUST LIVE BRITNEY...i mean, JUST LEAVE THE INTERNET ALONE!

 

[Sir Shockwave]

So where can I find this Petition?

 

[Al-Bundy-da-G]

So where can I find this Petition?

Depends where you live at. The US's House of Representatives have already condemned the bill so there's no need to Petition against this in the US. I managed to find a petition for New Zealand if that's where you live.

 

[DrunkOnEstus]

Free and open my ass.

Why should I be? I'm up for new things, I guess...depends on what it looks like : )

OT: This doesn't feel right. Sure it probably isn't ideal that the U.S. has such a stranglehold on it now, but at least I can take comfort in the openness and freedom that we've enjoyed so far. There is room for infrastructural improvements, but not sweeping changes. It's the last bastion of open sharing of ideas and information (except isolationist governments that aren't into their citizens having that kind of thing). Me and Google aren't exactly friends but I'll probably do him this favor.

 

[Sir Shockwave]

So where can I find this Petition?

Depends where you live at. The US's House of Representatives have already condemned the bill so there's no need to Petition against this in the US. I managed to find a petition for New Zealand if that's where you live.

What about the UK? Is David Cameron being an idiot as usual?

 

[RicoADF]

seriously what is with it with governments and trying to "fix" things that arent broken.

all i can really say is build the future you want to see not the future a well paid suit or someone who fears a disenting view wants

Because not everyone likes the US having control over the internet and thus enforce its laws on the rest of the world + claim duristiction. I'd like to see the net become a global rather than American regulated system, IF its done right. And to be honest that's a huge if.

 

[Kinguendo]

Wait, so they want to take the power from a single country and spread it out... and Googles argument is "Keep it in the US, other countries want to censor it."? Yeah, Google... last time I checked, so did the US.

 

[Al-Bundy-da-G]

So where can I find this Petition?

Depends where you live at. The US's House of Representatives have already condemned the bill so there's no need to Petition against this in the US. I managed to find a petition for New Zealand if that's where you live.

What about the UK? Is David Cameron being an idiot as usual?

I haven't been able to find any petition for the UK, but since it need a unanimous decision from all members of the UN it doesn't really seem likely that it will be passed anyway.

 

[Sir Shockwave]

So where can I find this Petition?

Depends where you live at. The US's House of Representatives have already condemned the bill so there's no need to Petition against this in the US. I managed to find a petition for New Zealand if that's where you live.

What about the UK? Is David Cameron being an idiot as usual?

I haven't been able to find any petition for the UK, but since it need a unanimous decision from all members of the UN it doesn't really seem likely that it will be passed anyway.

Fair enough. Just wanted to be sure I did my part.

 

[Nimbus]

Giving government more power over the internet? Hell the fuck no. All for seperation of tech and state!

 

[Shaidz]

So where can I find this Petition?

Depends where you live at. The US's House of Representatives have already condemned the bill so there's no need to Petition against this in the US. I managed to find a petition for New Zealand if that's where you live.

WHERE WHERE WHERE WHERE!!! <------- lives in NZ too

 

[RaikuFA]

The Internet is a work of art (how I look at it) that spans the entire world. Taking that away is going to be a major, major travesty to all of us. I'm with Google on this one; even though we have sites like 4chan and YouTube, there's enough positivity and good things that make the Internet worth its place in the world today and the future.

Where is it? All I ever hear nowadays is people screaming "entitled" and "first world problems" at everything they don't agree with. Everywhere I do someones gotta pick a fight with me over the smallest, minute details.