[Chapter-delegates] NEWS RELEASE: Internet Society’s Sally Wentworth Testifies Before U.S. House of Representatives on International Internet Regulations

[Joly MacFie]

I captured video of Sally's panel and have posted it at
http://youtu.be/4ceh1LrvXUY

j

On Thu, May 31, 2012 at 11:11 AM, <cover at isoc.org> wrote:

> All -- here's a press release we will issue later this morning following
> Sally's testimony.
>
>
> Internet Society’s Sally Wentworth Testifies Before U.S. House of
> Representatives on International Internet Regulations
>
> Expresses concern on pending international proposals that pose a potential
> threat to the innovative, collaborative, and open nature of the Internet
>
> [Washington, D.C. and Geneva, Switzerland – 31 May 2012] – The Internet
> Society, the world's trusted independent source of Internet leadership,
> announced that Sally Wentworth, Senior Manager of Public Policy at the
> Internet Society, testified today as an expert witness before the
> Communications and Technology Subcommittee of the U.S. House of
> Representatives' Committee on Energy and Commerce at a hearing on
> "International Proposals to Regulate the Internet."
>
> Wentworth joined other witnesses to provide testimony on the pending
> international proposals to regulate the Internet via changes to the
> International Telecommunications Regulations (ITRs), a 1988 treaty that
> currently governs traditional telecommunications.  The United Nations
> International Telecommunications Union (ITU) will hold the World Conference
> on International Telecommunications (WCIT) in December 2012 and enable the
> 193 Member States from across the globe to review the ITRs and modify the
> treaty.
>
> The WCIT has drawn increased attention from the global community, as some
> ITU Member States have proposed amendments to the treaty that would impact
> the global Internet architecture, operations, content, and security.
> Wentworth noted that some government proposals would threaten the viability
> of the existing global multistakeholder model for standards-setting and
> Internet policy development, and may seek to apply legacy
> telecommunications regulations to Internet traffic in a manner that could
> lead to a fragmented, less interoperable global network.
>
> Additionally, the Internet Society is concerned about the decision-making
> process at the WCIT meetings.  In her written testimony, Wentworth stated,
> “From a process standpoint, the Internet Society is concerned that these
> major decisions are being made in a purely intergovernmental setting and
> will therefore lack the broad range of input and collaboration that are the
> hallmarks of multistakeholder policy development. It is not simply that the
> treaty negotiation process excludes nongovernmental stakeholders from
> decision-making, but that it dramatically limits the extent to which
> participants from industry and civil society can even be meaningfully
> heard.”
>
> Founded in 1992 by many of the same pioneers who built the Internet, the
> Internet Society champions public policies that support the free and open
> Internet, and facilitates the open development of standards and protocols
> in support of the Internet’s technical infrastructure.  With more than
> 55,000 members and 90 Chapters around the world, the Internet Society
> serves as a global resource for technically-vetted, policy-based, and
> ideologically unbiased information about the Internet.
>
> The Internet Society does believe that the WCIT can produce thoughtful,
> worthwhile policy developments that advance the mission of the ITU and the
> ongoing expansion of global communications, without imposing dangerous and
> unnecessary burdens on the Internet. Wentworth commented, “Many ITU Member
> States, including the United States, have shown that they understand the
> value of the Internet and its unique multistakeholder model. Those
> delegates are in a critical position to advance an agenda at WCIT that
> respects the Internet and its global contributions, while continuing to
> support the pro-competitive policies that have been so successful since the
> ITRs were first negotiated in 1988.”
>
> To read Ms. Wentworth’s written testimony, visit:
> http://internetsociety.org/international-proposals-regulate-internet
>
> About the Internet Society
> The Internet Society is the trusted independent source for Internet
> information and thought leadership from around the world. With its
> principled vision and substantial technological foundation, the Internet
> Society promotes open dialogue on Internet policy, technology, and future
> development among users, companies, governments, and other organizations.
> Working with its members and Chapters around the world, the Internet
> Society enables the continued evolution and growth of the Internet for
> everyone. For more information, visit www.internetsociety.org.
>
>
>
-- 
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Joly MacFie  218 565 9365 Skype:punkcast
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 http://pinstand.com - http://punkcast.com
 VP (Admin) - ISOC-NY - http://isoc-ny.org
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