U.S. Denies It Considered Withdrawing From U.N. Internet Conference

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U.S. ambassador Terry Kramer has released a statement to Broadcasting & Cable denying reports that the U.S. delegation to a U.N. telecommunications conference in Dubai has threatened to or considered walking out. Kramer explained that U.S. would continue to participate in the summit, the World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT-12). taking place through Friday in Dubai, in which the 193 member nations of the U.N. are debating updates to an older treaty that could greenlight increased government regulation of the Internet. As Broadcasting & Cable reprinted Kramer’s statement: 

“In the past few days, a small number of media reports have characterized the United States as ‘threatening’ to withdraw from the WCIT negotiations,” he said in a statement. “These speculative reports are inaccurate and unhelpful to the Conference,” Kramer said. “The United States has made no such threat, and it remains fully committed to achieving a successful conclusion to the WCIT. The U.S. Delegation will continue to provide information to the media as negotiations continue throughout this week.”

Kramer has also vocally expressed the U.S. delegation’s global opposition to a proposal to expand a key definition reached in the ITU 1988 treaty (the International Telecommunications Regulations, or ITRs), which would change “recognized operating agencies” to “operating agencies.” Some nations, including the U.S., are concerned this change could give governments and “any individual” that owns a telecom network the ability to inspect network content and potentially censor it. The proposal is supported by Iran, Brazil, India, other Arab nations and the African States, according to Dot Nxt

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