ITU and the internet: déjà vu all over again

Citation

Blackman, C. (2011), "ITU and the internet: déjà vu all over again", info, Vol. 13 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/info.2011.27213aaa.002

ITU and the internet: déjà vu all over again

Article Type: Editorial From: info, Volume 13, Issue 1

To coincide with its 18th Plenipotentiary Conference in Guadalajara in Mexico in October 2010, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) released figures showing that there would be more than two billion internet users by the end of 2010, with most of the growth coming from developing countries. Of the 226 million new internet users in 2010, 162 million came from developing countries[1].

In an ever more interconnected world, our communications infrastructure is increasingly fundamental for everyone – for business, government and citizens. In turn, the need to ensure that the infrastructure is kept secure becomes more and more important, otherwise it may become vulnerable to a wide range of threats. Insecurities and vulnerabilities in networks and services expose users to threats such as cybercrime, identity theft, spam, malware, online trafficking, exploitation and harm to children and other at-risk groups.

As a consequence, in recent years the ITU has placed more emphasis on the need for cyber security, resulting in its Global Cybersecurity Agenda[2]. In his article in this issue of info, Tony Rutkowski has done a great service by showing that governments have always been concerned about the problems in interconnecting networks. He describes the history of cyber security public international law since 1850, as found in treaty instruments developed by what is now called the ITU, and showing their relevance today. These cyber security law components include obligations, to which almost every country is a signatory, to prevent technical harm and interference to the facilities, operations, or communications of another country and to ensure communications security.

Cyber security is certainly a legitimate area for the ITU, although some believe that it is in the interests of governments and business to over exaggerate the threats. Others would still like the UN body to have a much more expansive role with regard to the internet, particularly with regard to the domain name system. For instance, prior to the recent Plenipotentiary, a proposal filed by the Regional Commonwealth in the field of Communications (RCC) called for the ICANN Governmental Advisory Committee to be scrapped and replaced by an ITU group[3].

Russia, of course, likes to portray the internet as being run by a private American monopoly. Some developing countries also fear that they are being denied access to scarce resources that will hamper national development. In contrast, speaking at ICANN 37 in Nairobi in March 2010, Rod Beckstrom, ICANN’s CEO and President, challenged African leaders to shatter their telecom monopolies and make high-speed internet access more affordable as the way to take the brake off economic development[4]. ICANN, by the way, has no voice at the ITU – as was made abundantly clear when Beckstom was denied observer status at the Guadalajara[5].

To those who see the ITU as a commercially driven business association operating under the guise of an intergovernmental treaty organization, giving it responsibility for the internet is essentially handing control to big business at the expense of civil society[6]. Those who want to preserve the internet’s broadly unregulated nature do not want anyone to control the internet, especially by an organization that they see as a bureaucratic leftover from the past. So, even though there may be legitimate concerns about the lack of democratic control of the internet through ICANN, the ITU is not a credible alternative.

Reading the Final Acts of the 18th Plenipotentiary, clearly the ITU is seeking to modernize itself, e.g. by opening up membership to academics, making its materials more freely available online. With good vibes generally emanating from Guadalajara, perhaps this is a suitable moment to consider the future role of the ITU as we look to a future with the majority of the global population in the information society. info welcomes submissions on this and related topics.

Colin BlackmanEditor of info and an independent consultant.

Notes

1. www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/material/FactsFigures2010.pdf

2. www.itu.int/cybersecurity/

3. http://domainincite.com/us-and-russia-face-off-over-icann-veto-power/

4. http://nbo.icann.org/meetings/nairobi2010/transcript-welcome-pres-report-08mar10-en.txt

5. www.icann.org/en/correspondence/toure-to-beckstrom-16aug10-en.pdf

6. www.circleid.com/posts/on_the_need_to_separate_the_telecom_business_agenda_from_government_policy/