Who should control the Internet?

Since late last year, I have been reading reports about the UN suggesting that they should be in charge of the Internet in as much as determining new domain names and other such matters. A few weeks ago, their official report was released and outlined several plans which would give various levels of control to a committee of the United Nations.

Senator Norm Coleman of Minnesota has stepped up and denounced the UN's global control plan and for that I salute him.

"My probe of the U.N. as Chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations revealed management that was at best, incompetent, and at worst corrupt,"” said Coleman. "“The first priority for the United Nations must be fundamental reform of its management and operations rather than any expansion of its authority and responsibilities. The Internet has flourished under U.S. supervision, oversight, and private sector involvement. This growth did not happen because of increased government involvement, but rather, from the opening on the Internet to commerce and private sector innovation. Subjecting the Internet and its security to the politicized control of the UN bureaucracy would be a giant and foolhardy step backwards."

"Recently, I introduced UN reform legislation with the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations, Senator Dick Lugar (R-IN), known as the Coleman-Lugar UN Reform Bill, to help put an end to a culture of corruption that was exposed by the Oil for Food scandal, peacekeeping sexual abuse scandals, and other instances of organizational failures at U.N.,"” Coleman said. "Putting the U.N. in charge of one of the world'’s most important technological wonders and economic engines is out of the question. This proposal would leave the United States with no more say over the future of the Internet than Cuba or China -- —countries that have little or no commitment to the free flow of information."”

The Internet is far too important to the American economy and free expression to be governed by a bloated bureaucracy. I hope our other legislators will join with Senator Coleman to protect our economic and social interests by maintaining the current system of control of the Internet. But I suppose we'll see what develops at the World Summit on the Information Society Tunisia in November.