Research on explosive developments in the ICT field in recent times shows that the ITU was a marginal actor. They had to be dragged kicking and screaming to support the market liberalization processes that yielded innovation and growth. Even in the area of standardization, they could not lead from the front. Entities such as the IEEE were responsible for most of the critical innovations.
Now it appears that the ITU Secretary General, in alliance with Vladimir Putin, is trying to take over the Internet:
The problem, Gross said, is that participation will be limited to representatives of national governments, not telecoms players, and a number of proposals have been put forth that will put the internet under much more restrictive regulation than it is now.
“Proposals have been put forward that would require the ITU to decide on new technologies for the internet, to regulate backbone costs and termination charges for data traffic, roaming charges and even peering,” Gross said.
2 Comments
Abu Saeed Khan
In a recent coauthored article; David Gross has concluded, “Despite the broad and dramatic scope of various governmental proposals – which could affect core aspects of running an ICT, telecoms, or internet-based business – the WCIT preparatory process is not receiving sufficient attention from most businesses and others. The WCIT could lead to new regulations governing how these businesses are run and how such businesses may interact with their customers, partners, and vendors, as well as how they can innovate and provide new and improved services. Moreover, because of the implicit attacks on established mechanisms of internet governance, the WCIT has the potential to destabilise and politicise standardisation processes and the management of the internet architecture in a way that could also hinder innovation and efficiency. Many national delegations are interested in hearing the concerns of industry and others. Interested companies and other groups should take steps to monitor the conference preparatory processes and should be on the lookout for opportunities to inform and influence the debate.”
Last month Gross has appeared before the House subcommittee and said that this is not the first attempt to centralize control over the Internet, while pointing to United Nations talks in 2003 and 2005. To read his testimony, click here.
nomen
it appears that the ITU Secretary General, in alliance with Vladimir Putin, is trying to take over the Internet
“Let me say quite plainly and clearly: This is simply ridiculous.”
NY Times Debunking rumors of an Internet takeover
Empowering Children Against Misinformation: A Review of MIL Interventions in Sri Lanka
After three years of collaborative research and engagement, the ‘Resisting Information Disorders in the Global South’ project has culminated in the publication of the report ‘Information Disorder and Resilience in the Global South: Structural Drivers, Governance, Media Literacy, and Fact-Checking.’ The report draws on evidence from across the Global South to examine the structural drivers of information disorder and assess regulatory and societal responses in Africa, the MENA region, South-East Asia, and Latin America.
Sri Lanka’s AI ambitions need a strong data governance foundation
As Sri Lanka pushes forward with the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across various sectors to drive development and innovation, a critical foundational question must first be addressed. What data will power these systems, and how will that data be governed?
Are Monsters Real?
In 1942, Isaac Asimov published a short story called Runaround, featuring a robot named ‘Speedy', sent to collect minerals on Mercury. Speedy, unfortunately, gets stuck in a loop: caught between two of his own programmed laws, endlessly circling a pool of selenium, unable to break free.
Links
User Login
Themes
Social
Twitter
Facebook
RSS Feed
Contact
9A 1/1, Balcombe Place
Colombo 08
Sri Lanka
+94 (0)11 267 1160
+94 (0)11 267 5212
info [at] lirneasia [dot] net
Copyright © 2026 LIRNEasia
a regional ICT policy and regulation think tank active across the Asia Pacific