WEBVTT 00:00:00.344 --> 00:00:04.362 (Openmedia - the Stream) 00:00:04.362 --> 00:00:09.120 [Josh Rushing] ...International Telecommunications and Union, and it's an agency of the United Nations. 00:00:09.120 --> 00:00:12.264 They're meeting next week to negotiate a treaty on internet regulations 00:00:12.264 --> 00:00:15.483 and discuss policies ranging from cybersecurity to online fraud 00:00:16.139 --> 00:00:19.970 but digital rights groups have criticized the push for so-called internet central government. 00:00:20.839 --> 00:00:24.159 and insist that an international treaty that includes the influence of countries 00:00:24.159 --> 00:00:28.442 like China, Russia and others could lead to greater online censorship 00:00:28.849 --> 00:00:30.359 and ITU says 00:00:30.359 --> 00:00:34.692 its main objective is to increase internet access to underserved communities. 00:00:35.290 --> 00:00:38.990 But should this goal be achieved through international regulations? 00:00:38.990 --> 00:00:42.060 And can it be done without harming internet freedoms? 00:00:42.060 --> 00:00:46.250 [Ellery Biddle] We've seen leaked proposals that clearly implicate the internet that would - 00:00:46.276 --> 00:00:51.383 you know, with the goal of the improving cybersecurity, whatever that may mean 00:00:51.383 --> 00:00:53.176 - it means different things different countries - 00:00:53.176 --> 00:00:57.806 could limit people's privacy by, you know, being able to identify 00:00:57.806 --> 00:01:00.641 a communication anywhere in the network 00:01:01.195 --> 00:01:02.570 another proposal would limit free expression 00:01:02.586 --> 00:01:05.810 would limit free expression by authorizing governments 00:01:05.810 --> 00:01:11.250 to shut down communication networks for, you know - in the name of national security. 00:01:11.250 --> 00:01:15.350 [Rushing] From your view as someone who fights to protect civil liberties online, 00:01:15.350 --> 00:01:19.110 how much of a realistic threat do you see in cyber security and cyberwar, 00:01:19.110 --> 00:01:23.092 and how much do you see that being used as kind of useful boogey man? 00:01:23.800 --> 00:01:28.920 [Biddle] I think cybersecurity is such a subjective concept that it's almost - 00:01:28.920 --> 00:01:33.480 - I don't think it's useful to really use the term very much. 00:01:33.480 --> 00:01:36.610 [Unidentified speaker?] It's that issue transparency that's coming up, Sunju says 00:01:36.610 --> 00:01:39.960 there's no transparency at all. Individual governments have tried and failed 00:01:39.960 --> 00:01:41.780 and now they want to use the UN 00:01:41.780 --> 00:01:45.240 to push for their bid, another from Mohammed who says governments will 00:01:45.240 --> 00:01:49.929 basically use censorship to their advantage, crushing and suppressing all voices against them 00:01:49.929 --> 00:01:52.920 [Josh Rushing] Well how do you respond to the critics who say that there's been a lack 00:01:52.920 --> 00:01:55.396 of transparency in your process? 00:01:57.335 --> 00:02:00.718 [Hamaoun Toure] Well, we have asked - I've asked as secretary general of ITU, 00:02:00.718 --> 00:02:04.188 I've asked every nation to have national consultations. 00:02:04.188 --> 00:02:06.978 And many countries have done so, and I've requested ITU 00:02:06.978 --> 00:02:12.129 to send delegations there to continue to explain what the ITR (?) are about. 00:02:12.129 --> 00:02:14.680 and some countries have done so. 00:02:14.680 --> 00:02:17.913 And every country who wants - anyone who wants information 00:02:17.913 --> 00:02:21.769 can contact his national government to get the information. 00:02:21.769 --> 00:02:24.120 [Biddle] And that the idea of trying to get 00:02:24.120 --> 00:02:28.669 all 193 countries together to agree by consensus 00:02:28.713 --> 00:02:34.180 on policies related to anything - anything related to content really, 00:02:34.180 --> 00:02:35.519 that alone 00:02:35.519 --> 00:02:39.310 it's very difficult to imagine how you could come to consensus that 00:02:39.310 --> 00:02:41.819 would be acceptable to all players. 00:02:41.819 --> 00:02:45.198 The general question about how much should government's be able to watch 00:02:45.198 --> 00:02:50.476 what users are doing online, and what are their motives there - is it in, 00:02:50.476 --> 00:02:53.041 you know, pursuing real criminals 00:02:53.949 --> 00:02:59.429 in some normative sense, or is it trying to control people who might be engaged 00:02:59.429 --> 00:03:02.039 in some kind of activism that the government doesn't like? 00:03:02.039 --> 00:03:05.269 [Unidentified ?] We've seen reports that the internet has been shut down in Syria. 00:03:05.269 --> 00:03:08.509 dc0de says: To say that there isn't "Jamming" today, look at what syria has done 00:03:08.509 --> 00:03:12.159 to their internet? The abuses of control already exist. 00:03:12.159 --> 00:03:14.846 and there's a Facebook comment from Noemi who says: 00:03:14.846 --> 00:03:19.469 In fact dozens of countries including China Russia and some Arab states already restrict 00:03:19.469 --> 00:03:21.739 internet access within their own borders, 00:03:21.739 --> 00:03:25.233 but these governments would have greater leverage over internet content service providers 00:03:25.233 --> 00:03:26.801 if changes are made.