Communications of the ACM
.N. Plans Internet Governance Amid Outcry to Defund IT
Credit: International Telecommunication Union
A petition to de-fund the United Nation's telecommunications branch recently emerged, just as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) was ready to finalize Internet governance plans at the World Telecommunication Information and Communication Technology Policy Forum. The North American Network Operators' Group submitted the petition "De-fund the ITU" to Whitehouse.gov, calling on the U.S. government to stop its financial contributions to the ITU. The petition is a response to the ITU's attempt at Internet governance and monetization through tolls at the recent WCIT-12 summit.
ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun Toure recently released the final ITU/WTPF-13 report, outlining the groundwork for Internet governance. The ITU/WTPF-13 report explicitly includes the creation of "global principles for the governance and use of the Internet" and resolving issues pertaining to use of Internet resources for purposes that are inconsistent with international peace, stability, and security.
Defundtheitu.org provides details and ITU funding summaries showing which countries contribute to the ITU. The top two donors are the U.S. and Japan, each of which contribute almost $11 million annually. ITU insisted on keeping conference documents from the public, which fueled a backlash around the world. The U.S. and 54 other countries revolted and refused to sign ITU's plan.
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