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How The U.S. Government Undermined the Internet

Posted by Zonk on from the we're-a-long-way-from-darpanet dept.

sakshale writes "The Register has an article about U.S. Government backed policy changes that have led ICANN to redelegate top level domains in such a way as to provide 'greater state-controlled censorship on the internet, reduce people's ability to use the internet to communicate freely, and leave expansion of the internet in the hands of the people least capable of doing the job'" More from the article: "At that meeting, consciously and for the first time, ICANN used a US government-provided reason to turn over Kazakhstan's internet ownership to a government owned and run association without requiring consent from the existing owners. The previous owners, KazNIC, had been created from the country's Internet community. ICANN then immediately used that 'precedent' to hand ownership of Iraq's internet over to another government-run body, without accounting for any objections that the existing owners might have."

4 of 394 comments (clear)

  1. Idea Report by voice_of_all_reason · · Score: 5, Funny

    Slashdot needs a "saw that coming from a mile away" category

  2. When asked why... by g0bshiTe · · Score: 5, Funny

    They replied, "because ICANN"

    --
    I am Bennett Haselton! I am Bennett Haselton!
  3. Rut-roh! by Billosaur · · Score: 4, Funny

    Grotesquely-attired monster struggles in ingenious, home-made trap.

    Fred: "Now let's see who's really trying to control the Internet!"

    Fred pulls off mask.

    Velma: Jinkies!

    Shaggy: Zoinks!

    Daphne: Why it's...

    All (in unison): Jack Thompson!

    Thompson: I have to save the world from itself! Too much garbage on the Internet, perverting the minds of our children! And I'd have gotten away with it too if it weren't for you meddling kids!

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    GetOuttaMySpace - The Anti-Social Network
  4. Cats.. by jd · · Score: 4, Funny

    Yes, cats do recognize ownership. If it's not nailed down and covered in cat repellent, they own it. In total disregard for US law, cats also own humans.

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    It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)