[WSIS CS-Plenary] "Internet Showdown in Tunis": CNET interview with David Gross

[mclauglm at po.muohio.edu]

>Regarding the following news story, note that Gross mentions, more than
>once, reaching out and talking to governments and the private sector. I
>think that he missed the memo about CS's role as a stakeholder. So much
>for all of the multistakeholder idealism of the WGIG.
>
>Best to all and safe travels to those going to Tunis.
>
>Lisa
>
>[WSIS Trivia: Ambassador Gross's appointment was granted as "gift" to
>reward his service as the National Executive Director of Lawyers for
>Bush-Cheney for the 2000 presidential election.]
>
>
>
>Internet showdown in Tunis
>
>By Declan McCullagh
>
>(Fri Nov 11 08:00:00 PST 2005)
>
>The United Nations' World Summit on the Information Society began with a
>high-minded purpose: to bridge the technological gap between richer and
>poorer nations. But now the WSIS event, which begins Nov. 16 in Tunisia,
>has transformed into a week-long debate about who should control key
>portions of the Internet.
>
>Delegates from nations like Iran, China, and Cuba have been clear in what
>they want: less control by the U.S. government. Instead, they've suggested
>creation of some sort of cyberbureaucracy---perhaps under the U.N.
>International Telecommunication Union.
>
>Those arguments have met with a cold shoulder in Washington. The Bush
>administration said in no uncertain terms in June that it intended to
>relinquish the United States' unique influence over domain names and the
>Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)  that
>position. But that doesn't advocate relinquishing total control or
>creation of a U.N. bureaucracy.
>
>If the U.N. prevails in this international political spat, business groups
>worry that domain name fees would go up and regulations would increase. If
>no agreement is reached, there's always the possibility of a bifurcated
>Internet divided by geographical region.
>
>CNET News.com recently spoke with Ambassador of Bureau of Economic and
>Business Affairs David Gross, who's leading the U.S. delegation to
>Tunisia. Gross previously was a telecommunications lawyer and a lobbyist
>for AirTouch Communications (now part of Vodafone).
>
>Q: What are the stakes at the WSIS summit?
>
>The stakes are really very high. The focus of the summit originally--and
>we believe still--is on the use of technology to take advantage of the
>historic opportunity to better everyone around the world, economically,
>socially and politically. Those are very high stakes.
>
>Q: How much of the current opposition over this issue is a result of
>global tensions regarding the U.S. as the world's lone superpower and
>involvement in Iraq?
>
>This is an issue that I think should be and will be addressed on its
>merits. The Internet has been an extraordinary development in the history
>of the world. There are about a billion people connected to the Internet
>in a remarkably short period of time.
>
>The system has worked extraordinarily well and arguably better than any
>other technology that's ever been rolled out. We seek to ensure that that
>continued advancement goes forward. I know by the way that the president
>just this afternoon (Thursday) is awarding the Medal of Freedom to a host
>of extraordinary Americans. Two of those Americans include Vint Cerf and
>Bob Kahn, who are often referred to as the fathers of the Internet.
>
>Q: Does the U.S. government have too much control of Internet governance?
>
>If you look at it the way most people would, it's a very bottom-up
>approach. There are a lot of players--civil society and the private
>sector--that play an important role. Certainly, the U.S. government has
>played an extraordinarily important role in the past. It was because of
>the U.S. government and the research funded by it that the Internet exists
>in the first place. We think it's working very well. We don't think there
>are any pressing problems associated with it.
>
>Q: At the preliminary meeting in New York last year, I found that
>discussions were all over the map, including spam, viruses and computer
>security. Is there a lack of focus here?
>
>Issues like spam and cybercrime and viruses are extraordinarily important.
>We've encouraged WSIS and other forums to work cooperatively in solving
>those issues. So we seek to have a very robust and inclusive discussion
>about these issues and others as well.
>
>Q: If critics of the U.S. join forces at WSIS and oppose the U.S., are
>there any red lines for the U.S that the administration would find
>intolerable?
>
>We've been very clear in what we think the summit should be accomplishing
>and should be focusing on. We continue to work with governments around the
>world and with civil society and with the private sector to secure an
>outcome that everyone can be proud of. I'm not worried too much about
>other results.
>
>Q: So there's no red line?
>
>At the end of June, the administration issued its four principles. We, of
>course, stick by those four principles. They're very clear; the world
>asked us to issue clear principles. We make clear what the U.S. government
>will continue to do and what we seek to do with the world going forward.
>That includes engaging in a dialogue in multiple forums.
>We don't think of these things as red lines or blue lines or green lines.
>Rather, we think of these things as a clear articulation of where the
>world should be going.
>
>Q: Is the U.S. worried about splitting the root, so that computers in two
>nations will find different Web sites at the same domain name?
>
>I have not heard any spokesperson for a government say that their
>government was interested in the creation of new root systems. I've heard
>governments talk about other governments being interested. I think that's
>important. The government officials I've spoken with say all of the
>incentives are to work on the current system. I have not heard any
>government official suggest that there would be benefits to that
>government in the creation of an independent root system.
>
>Any new system, any new network would, it seems to us, want to be
>interoperable with the current system. One of the keys here that is often
>overlooked is that the Internet is technically, constantly changing. It's
>constantly evolving and getting better technically. We're not interested
>in trying to lock in the current system as the right system.
>
>Q: Have there been any behind-the-door negotiations to try to hammer out
>an accord prior to Tunisia?
>
>We've had a series of prepcoms (preparatory committee meetings) including
>one in Geneva. That prepcom will be resumed in Tunis starting on Sunday.
>We, of course, reached out and talked with colleagues around the world and
>talked with governments and the private sector. We'll see what happens.
>
>Q: Which allies does the U.S. government have here? Even Europe seems to
>have joined China, Cuba, Iran and so on.
>
>It's hard to pick and choose individual countries. I think the key here is
>that what I heard at Geneva at the prepcom is that there's important
>common ground that can and will form the basis of a very productive
>meeting.
>
>Q: You can't name any allies?
>
>I make it a point never to characterize other governments' positions, so
>I'm not going to do it at this stage.
>
>Q: What's the best-case scenario out of WSIS?
>
>The best case is the world gathers together and reaffirms the importance
>of using technology to better people around the world; provide increased
>opportunity for people economically, socially and politically. That would
>be a very important development.
>
>Q: How much of this dispute is symbolic? If the U.S. said, "We'll leave
>decisions to ICANN," which has an international board of directors, would
>that be enough?
>
>I don't know whether any other group, critics or friends would be
>satisfied (and I'd rather not speculate).
>
>[http://news.com.com/Internet+showdown+in+Tunis/2008-1012_3-5945200.html]


-- 
Lisa McLaughlin, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Mass Communication & Women's Studies
Editor, Feminist Media Studies
Director of Graduate Studies, M.A. Program in Mass Communication
Union for Democratic Communications Representative,
World Summit on the Information Society

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