U.S. Congress Opposes United Nations Internet Treaty

[Zombie_Moogle]

Proud to be an American *Salutes*

Just remember though, the US government was quite happy with the idea of corporate censorship of the internet via SOPA/PIPA allowing anyone to be cut off from it and sued without trial and minimal proof...

Just wait until we start finding out more about the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

This is checks and balances at work, ladies and gentlemen. Our president may be in favor of more direct control over the internet (the better to make his campaign donors in Hollywood happy with), but the president doesn't legally have the power to ratify a treaty. He can help negotiate it, but it's up to congress as to whether or not it goes through. Today, Congress did their job.

Edit: Except even the president was apparently against this one. Must have been /really/ bad, since he was in favor of SOPA and ACTA.

 

[Evil Smurf]

I still don't trust you US government but am impressed you can agree on things. Now can you agree to raising taxes for the rich with a scaled tax system not unlike Australia?

 

[uchytjes]

And a little respect was won that day...

Still don't trust them in any way, but I do have just a little respect now.

 

[lancar]

American goverment unanimously doing something to save the freedoms of the internets? ...all the while the UN being the bad guys?

...Can't say I saw that one coming.

Corporate interests and influence aside, this is actually very good news.

 

[w@rew0lf]

This feeling...is it Patriotism?

 

[Revnak_v1legacy]

I don't want to be pessimistic, but couldn't it be just an American attempt to reduce "control" of chunks of the Net in sensitive countries like Iran and China? I somehow doubt both parties both came to the conclusion that SOPA, PIPA and ACTA are all ridiculous shenanigans. I'm sure there's ulterior motives behind this.

Altruism, this is not.

Both parties did already, except in the case of ACTA, which congress had no say in and was agreed to unconstitutionally. Sure it took them time, but they eventually stood against it. Maybe they actually remembered what happened last time and decided they'd be against this one too. That and Russians of course.

 

[Kuredan]

Wow... people are jaded. But yay for getting along and agreeing on things! Also, just because the article mentioned that the US controls the internet, that doesn't mean that the government does. They probably meant the various companies in the US private sector. Those companies sure don't want any governments controlling the internet.

 

[thesilentman]

Keep this up Congress, and I'll be willing to forget about the fiasco that was SOPA/PIPA. We'll get along just fine...

 

[WanderingFool]

While its nice to hear, it should be obvious their voting against it not because they dont want to control the internet, but because they want to control the internet... but they dont want to share...

Whatever, still a win in some book.

 

[Pandaman1911]

...well. I haven't used this in a while.



Thank you, Congress, for temporarily doing something right for once.

 

[Berithil]

I know that there's a reason behind their choice other than just being pro-internet (SOPA and PIPA afterall), but still....


[HEADING=2]THE ENTIRE GOVERNMENT ACTUALLY AGREED ON SOMETHING FOR ONCE!! [/HEADING]

 

[HalfTangible]

I know that there's a reason behind their choice other than just being pro-internet (SOPA and PIPA afterall), but still....


[HEADING=2]THE ENTIRE GOVERNMENT ACTUALLY AGREED ON SOMETHING FOR ONCE!! [/HEADING]

more surprisingly, IT WAS THE RIGHT CALL!!!!

IT'S A SIGN OF THE APOCALYPSE!! HIDE YOUR CHILDREN!!! STEAL FOOD!!! HORDE GAS!!!!! SAVE YOURSELF, FOR THE ENDTIME IS NIGH!!

 

[Entitled]

Even if they only did it so they can censol the Internet themselves, this is a good thin for the time being.

The internet is inherently global, so as long as it's not globally controlled, it can alays be free.

 

[dessertmonkeyjk]

After the whole rebellion of SOPA/PIPA, they're being rational?

Seems like they're trying to play nice... -_-

 

[Notsomuch]

I'm actually a little stunned. A unanimous vote, across both houses and parties? Is that even possible nowadays?

If you can actually get all of the legislators from both parties to vote against an idea, it must have been so bad an idea that a 5 year old could have seen it.

It's not about good or bad ideas with congress it's about where the money is coming from and where it's going after the fact.