A major U.S. delegation is in Dubai to lead opposition to possible new Internet regulations at a U.N. conference.
The
U.N.'s International Telecommunications Union hopes to reach a broad
consensus to revise codes not updated since 1988 - before the Internet
became a key part of global communications.
Each of the 193
nations at the 11-day meeting can propose regulatory changes. Organizers
say the gathering will focus on issues such as Web security and
expanding Internet services in developing countries.
But Internet
companies, rights groups and some governments fear that the conference,
which opens Monday, could bring rules that countries such as China and
Russia would use to justify tighter Web restrictions and monitoring. The
123-member U.S. delegation includes envoys from tech giants such as
Google Inc. and Microsoft Corp.