Us Cannot Be The Policeman Of The E-World

[icernet-admin at listserv.cddc.vt.edu]

The internet is now managed by a non-profit American company ICANN which was
established by the US department of commerce in 1998 to assign names to
internet users. This was a spontaneous consequence of the fact that the
internet was invented in America, partly with funding from the American
government. Initially the use of internet was limited to that country, hence
there was no difficulty in the American government regulating it. But now
the internet has got a global reach. Yet ICANN continues to be accountable
only to the US government. Thus South African President Thabo Mbeki said
that the world community should discuss ICANN's powers, "otherwise the world
continues to be governed by California law". The US government acquires
immense powers from its control of the internet. It can block selected
e-mail id or websites. It is also possible for the US government to track
the information being exchanged through the internet. The US government can
overhear the messages just as the postal departments used to open mail to
trap spies during the Second World War. The internet can also be used for
commercial espionage. The US, however, is reluctant to hand over control of
the internet to any multilateral organisation - even one that may be
established under the United Nations. It would be futile to ask the United
States to give up its control of the internet. Power is taken, not given.
The only way is for the countries like India to be one-up on the US by
excelling the US in future developments of the internet.

Source:
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=3&theme=&usrsess=1&id=39589