The development of the internet has completely transformed the way information and ideas are exchanged and discussed. Even for activists who have been around for several decades, its difficult to remember how we survived without it. But in the wake of the recent capitulation of Google to the demands of the Chinese state that people in China should have only censored access to its delights -with words like democracy and Tienanmen removed -MARK FINDLAY explores who actually controls this powerful Technology has advanced a little beyond this early laptop Most people see the Internet modifications to the authoriFor the most up to date inforweb site "... and working groups have been set up to find solutions and reach agreements in the fields of Internet governance and financing mechanisms.".
Not surprisingly, the US government is strongly resisting any loss of its control over the Internet, but, in the words of the European Commissioner responsible for the net, Viviane Reding, warning of a potential web meltdown:
"The US is absolutely isolated and that is dangerous," she said during a briefing with journalists in London.
"Imagine the Brazilians or the Chinese doing their own internet. That would be the end of the story.
"I am very much afraid of a fragmented internet if there is no agreement."
The US may seem isolated, because of demands from many countries like China, Iran and Brazil along with the EU, but actually this is an illusion.
practice, the core addressing svstens and system files of the Internet are all controlled by the US. There is no Internet without these. So it is the other way around.
Attempts to remove control of the Internet from the US
In practice, the core
addressing systems and system files of the
Internet are all
controlled by the US.
There is no Internet
without these. are bound to fail unless through warfare (improbable) or enormous polltical pres sure (difficult, but this is where international solidarity and political action come in).
Also, the US can point out (not without reason), that many coummes want more control over their domains so as to be able to control access to the net itself.
So what do socialists have to say about all this? Well I think it is undoubtedly true that the Internet should be under the control of international bodies and not con. trolled by US imperialism.
It is already possible for the Chinese and Iranian governments to control net access, and they do so with enthusiasm.
The US is not really interested in stopping them. What it is interested in is ultimate control of this new and vital means of communication and the use of it to further US
The precise method and form of control we would want still needs to be thought about, but I would say that a
collective of workers organisations should be involved.
should be in favour both of access for all and tor the continuation of innovation and improvement. We should therefore equally be against any sort of "dead hand" of control and suppression of improvements, so long as they don't break the continuity of the net and allow everyone to benefit.