Discussion during IGF against Internet content control

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The first global Internet Governance Forum (IGF) was organized by United
Nations in Athens between 30 October and 2 November 2006.

The forum has shown a strong and large opposition to Internet blocking and
filtering, putting under pressure repressive governments such as China. The
three sessions devoted to content regulation and control have been dominated
by the advocates of anti-censorship and access to knowledge that have
criticized the state control of Internet content.

Thus, Amnesty International publicly handed a pledge, called
Irrepressible Info. that states: “I believe the Internet should be a force
for political freedom, not repression. People have the right to seek and
receive information and to express their peaceful beliefs online without
fear or interference. I call on governments to stop the unwarranted
restriction of freedom of expression on the Internet – and on companies to
stop helping them do it.”

Most panellists from several work sessions opposed the extension of content
filtering and blocking. They criticized severely the representative of the
Council of Europe who tried to justify regulating “harmful content.”
Some participants argued in favour of an international treaty on Access to
Knowledge, supported for some time by South Africa, some other governments
and NGOs.

Mr. Joichi Ito, the iCommons chairman, emphasised the fact
that the access to Internet was already considerably restricted by the
identification and authentication measures required for DRM and considered
the copyright legislation was getting, “worse and worse” . He said one
solution to the problem could be to review the copyright laws so as to adapt
the multimedia domain. Another solution would be through the Creative
Commons and its alternative licenses.

Among other important subjects debated during the sessions there was the
problem of unsolicited email communications.A group of six main anti-spam
organisations made an alliance called Stop Spam Alliance and launched a
website with information and advise on spam.

The Internet Governance Forum (IGF)
http://www.intgovforum.org/

Internet Governance Forum 2006 Greece
http://www.igfgreece2006.gr/

Reporter’s Log: Internet Governance Forum (2.11.2006)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6105496.stm

The gossip issue (2.11.2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/11/02/igd_blog_wed/

Assault on State Censorship at the IGF (1.11.2006)
http://www.circleid.com/posts/assault_on_state_censorship_at_the_igf/

IGF: more free content for the Internet (2.11.2006)
http://www.heise.de/english/newsticker/news/80401

Stop Spam Alliance
http://www.stopspamalliance.org/