America stops the UN’s plan to take over the Internet
November 16, 2005| By The Heritage Foundation
America stood up to the United Nations this week and kept it from compromising American sovereignty and robbing American citizens of their freedoms. This time, the UN wanted to take control of the World Wide Web, but the Bush administration held firm.
This plan posed a real threat to freedom and a real threat to the modern economy and America was right to reject such a plan. The Heritage Foundation needs your help as we continue to defend America’s freedom of speech and enterprise against this danger.
Putting the UN in charge
At a conference this week in Tunisia, the United Nations proposed that an international council of governments assign Internet addresses—taking away that authority from the private American company that now does that job. In other words, unaccountable international bureaucrats could determine what web sites you are allowed to visit.
Somehow, the grave threat brewing this week in Tunisia went all but unreported in the media. It was up to us at The Heritage Foundation to educate the American people and our elected leaders about the problem.
Censoring the Internet
This “reform” effort was led by China, Iran and Saudi Arabia, and even the European Union jumped on the anti-American bandwagon before the conference. If UN bureaucrats are given the power to assign web site addresses, they will also have the power to block your access to any website they choose. This new form of censorship could apply to the entire world—affecting ordinary Americans like you and me.
Do you really want bureaucrats in Tehran and Beijing controlling what you say, what you read and what you buy and sell online? Do you want United Nations officials—the same ones who coddled Saddam Hussein and took his Oil for Food bribes—to block your access to The Heritage Foundation website and other sites you rely on for your news and commentary?
America holds firm
Fortunately, the Bush administration heard Heritage’s warnings and stuck to its guns, refusing the UN’s absurd demands. And Congressional leaders of both parties expressed support for an Internet free of government interference.
Because of this pressure, the United Nations relented, allowing the private American company that keeps the Internet alive to continue its work.
But the threat still looms. While negotiators in Tunisia agreed to keep the Internet in the private sector where it belongs, they still established an international body to oversee the World Wide Web. That body has only advisory powers—for now. Despite America’s common-sense objections, the UN may yet decide it is the rightful “owner” of the Internet.
What you can do to stop the UN
Though we won this round, this will be an ongoing battle. Liberals in the media and across America will undoubtedly say that our international obligations require us to give up our freedoms to the organization that allows Sudan to sit on the Human Rights Commission.
So we need your support as we explain to Congress and the American people that the Internet, an American creation, has been successful precisely because there has been so little regulation. And with your help, we will explain that we should not allow another United Nations power-grab.
The Heritage Foundation is proud to defend these ideals—your ideals—of free speech and free enterprise from our permanent home on Capitol Hill. Thank you again for your support.
Relevant Heritage research
- Helle Dale, “Protect the ’Net,” Washington Times, November 16, 2005
- Brett D. Schaefer, John J. Tkacik, Jr., and James L. Gattuso, “Keep the Internet Free of the United Nations,” November 2, 2005
