Global Internet Tax Proposals Gaining Momentum In U. N. - Polidicks

[quote] U.S. Ambassador Terry Kramer warned on Friday that a proposal to give a United Nations agency more control over the Internet is gaining momentum in other countries. Proposals to expand the U.N.'s International Telecommunications Union's (ITU) authority over the Internet could come up at a treaty conference in Dubai in December. European telecommunications companies are pushing a plan that would create new rules that would allow them to charge more to carry international traffic. The proposal by the European Telecommunications Network Operators' Association could force websites like Google, Facebook and Netflix to pay fees to network operators around the world. Kramer said the idea of an international Internet fee is "gaining more interest in the African states and also in the Arab states." He said the United States delegation to the conference will have to redouble its efforts to convince other countries that the proposal would only stifle innovation and economic growth. [/quote] [url]http://nation.foxnews.com/un-internet-fee/2012/10/13/report-global-internet-tax-proposals-gaining-momentum-u-n[/url] [url]http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/261863-us-ambassador-warns-internet-fee-proposal-gaining-momentum-abroad[/url]

Really if they take control over the internet we'll just make our own internet! With blackjack! And hookers!

At least the United States is standing up to this asinine proposal.

[QUOTE=ElectroMagnet;38083407]Really if they take control over the internet we'll just make our own internet! With blackjack! And hookers![/QUOTE] The current internet already has those though :(

[QUOTE] He said the United States delegation to the conference will have to redouble its efforts to convince other countries that the proposal would only stifle innovation and economic growth. [/QUOTE] Good to see our people having some sensibilities unlike the proponents of this bill who are absolute idiots. And figures, not surprised at all to see African and Arab countries being major supporters of this.

Correct me if I read the article incorrectly, but isn't internet service already shitty enough in most of the world without international taxes being added on top of it? ISPs are already making a killing. Network operators won't give a fuck, they'll just keep ripping people off for shit service and monopolizing in rural areas that need to put up with their garbage if they want internet service. This just sounds like more lobbying on part of technological oligopolies to give the consumer a good ol' combined fisting, rather than actually having to innovate and compete with each other.

[QUOTE=hypno-toad;38083501]Correct me if I read the article incorrectly, but isn't internet service already shitty enough in most of the world without international taxes being added on top of it? ISPs are already making a killing. Network operators won't give a fuck, they'll just keep ripping people off for shit service and monopolizing in rural areas that need to put up with their garbage if they want internet service. This just sounds like more lobbying on part of technological oligopolies to give the consumer a good ol' combined fisting, rather than actually having to innovate and compete with each other.[/QUOTE] [QUOTE] The proposal by the European Telecommunications Network Operators' Association could force websites like Google, Facebook and Netflix to pay fees to network operators around the world. [/QUOTE] This isn't just isp's this is bullshit regulation that serves no purpose.

This hopefully won't come to fruition, especially if the U.S already dislikes it.

No matter how shit the US has with all it's policies, at least it's keeping this one right.

This has pretty much a 0.02% chance of passing.

[QUOTE=Ast_risk;38084768]This has pretty much a 0.02% chance of passing.[/QUOTE] I'd not really want to even risk 0.02%

I'd be afraid if it were someone other than the UN enforcing it. Someone with more authority and respect, like a high school janitor or a little kid at a playground.

Why is this necessary? Who would actually benefit from this?

In this age of information and surveillance. I think an open and free internet is in the interest of all. We must preserve this valuable tool for conversation. quirks and all.

According to the article, only Africa and the Arab nations want this. i.e. places nobody fucking cares about. [editline]18th October 2012[/editline] Also those sources sure aren't biased against the UN or anything.

Whoever wrote this is a fucking idiot. Private and public peering exists for this exact reason: You pay your upstream and your upstream pays (or negotiates) for their peering.

Companies lobbying to make more money? [I]Shocking!![/I] [SP]Enough sarcasm?[/SP]

It doesn't make them more money, though. It's a tax.

[QUOTE=That Poster;38087206]It doesn't make them more money, though. It's a tax.[/QUOTE] Like they can handle all that control alone? They need co-corporation from the ISP's, and in return the ISP's will demand a slice of the cake.