Did The Administration Just Weaken Internet Security And Set The Stage For A Global Web Tax?
Oh, and it may lead to a global web tax, as well.
Former Bush administration State Department senior advisor Christian Whiton told The Daily Caller:
“U.S. management of the Internet has been exemplary and there is no reason to give this away — especially in return for nothing. This is the Obama equivalent of Carter’s decision to give away the Panama Canal — only with possibly much worse consequences.”The Department of Commerce announced the decision to give up control of the Internet’s core infrastructure, in part, as a result of international pressure following revelations by Edward Snowden about the NSA’s global surveillance program.
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers has overseen domain names, assigned Internet protocol addresses, and executed other crucial Internet functions since 2000 under the supervision of the Commerce Department. That contract will be cancelled once final plans to relinquish U.S. control have been completed.
In additions to concerns about a weakening of Internet security, Whiton also warned of the potential of a global web tax:
“If the U.N. gains control what amounts to the directory and traffic signals of the Internet, it can impose whatever taxes it likes. It likely would start with a tax on registering domains and expand from there.”So, should Americans be concerned? Of course they should. While the UN may not be outwardly anti-American, more often than not, it sides with those who oppose the best interests of the U.S.
One need look no farther than the UN proposal to create a “global warming tax,” by which it would redistribute billions of dollars from “developed” “polluting” countries to (supposedly “non-polluting”) “developing” countries (it excludes China and Russia from the “developed” list, by the way).
Yet the administration once again demonstrates its “world view” of the way things ought to be. This time, a potential threat to the Internet as we know it.
My question would be : Does anyone really control the internet anyway? We may control certain aspects of it like security and we can still control the security in our country, but the internet is a free and wild place with little regulation or control. Except for the tax thing I really don't know that it matters. With all of the cyber attacks and data mining (think recently Target) that possibly could have been instituted overseas who really is in control of these things?
ReplyDeleteThe internet was once the property of DARPA and was open only to Defense Department personnel and Defense research contract recipients and contractors. I know, I was one of them. They gave it up years ago. No one actually controls the internet today, as you implied.
DeleteNo global internet tax for any number of reasons. For one, we wouldn't pay it. For two there would be no means of enforcing it worldwide and, for three, we would just restructure the trunk so that other countries would no longer have access without conditions. Even Obama can't enforce internet rules, believe it or not.
ReplyDeleteOh, and by the way, Jimmy boy was just fulfilling our treaty with Panama which dates back to the beginning of the canal.
DeleteFunny about weakening internet security. The internet has no security.
DeleteDo you think we'll have a corresponding reduction in the Federal workforce who have been administering the program? We both know the answer to that question don't we.
DeleteI really don't care who runs the internet. Maybe we should give it back to Al Gore.
According to the New York Times, the proposed change is in the assignment of domain names. That's all. Of course we know such things can baloon over time.
DeleteI think it's possible that you guys lack the vision of those that seek to be in control. As do I.
ReplyDeleteI mean, just because we can't see the way it will affect us doesn't mean it's not going to.
It's a dumb move.
The part of the internet that most of us use is controlled and at least passively monitored.
ReplyDelete