How the ITU could put the internet behind closed doors.
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0:00 - 0:04The internet gives us the freedom to talk with friends, make art,
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0:04 - 0:09start business or speak out against our governments, all on an unprecedented scale.
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0:09 - 0:11This isn't a coincidence.
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0:11 - 0:13The Internet's design came out of open inclusive discussions
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0:13 - 0:16by a global community of scientists and engineers,
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0:16 - 0:20so there was no pressure from above to lock it down.
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0:20 - 0:23But now a Government controlled international body is making a play
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0:23 - 0:28to become the new place where the Internet's future gets decided.
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0:28 - 0:32It's called the International Telecommunciation Union (or ITU).
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0:32 - 0:35and in December the world's Governments will meet, to decide whether to
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0:35 - 0:39expand its mandate to making important decisions about the net.
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0:39 - 0:42The ITU could pose a risk to freedom of expression on-line everywhere.
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0:42 - 0:45Here's why. First the basics.
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0:45 - 0:48Nobody owns the Internet.
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0:48 - 0:52It's a collection of independent networks around the world. anybody can build one.
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0:52 - 0:56The common standards on which the Internet was build gre out of open on-line discussions,
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0:56 - 1:00not on the priorities of a particular Government or company.
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1:00 - 1:03But now let's meet the ITU!
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1:03 - 1:08First the ITU is old. Really old. Not CDs old, not rotary phone old,
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1:08 - 1:12telegraph old, as in Morse code.
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1:12 - 1:16WHen founded in 1865 it was called the International Telegraph Union.
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1:16 - 1:21Unlike the Internet the ITU was not build on open discussion among scientists and engineers.
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1:21 - 1:23Instead only Governments have a vote at the ITU.
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1:23 - 1:27And these votes take place behind closed doors.
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1:27 - 1:31If Governments succeed in giving the ITU more power to make decisions about the Internet, we get
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1:31 - 1:35an old-school, top-down, government centric organisation
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1:35 - 1:37replacing the open bottom-up governance
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1:37 - 1:40that made the Internet so world-changing.
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1:40 - 1:42and that's just the beginning of our problems.
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1:42 - 1:45The ITU is not transparent.
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1:45 - 1:53The ITU's draft proposals aren't public, and its "one country - one vote" model gives Governments all the power.
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1:53 - 1:58They get to make decisions about our internet, without us even knowing what they're discussing
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1:58 - 2:01and then tell us, once the decision is made.
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2:01 - 2:04What kinds of decisions will be considered at the ITU meeting this December?
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2:04 - 2:07Well, here's some actual proposals that have leaked:
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2:07 - 2:11cutting of internet access for a number of braodly defined reasons;
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2:11 - 2:14violating international human rights norms;
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2:14 - 2:20giving Governments more power to monitor internet traffic and impose regulations on how traffic is sent;
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2:20 - 2:23defining span so broadly that they could justify blocking anything
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2:23 - 2:27from photos of cute cats to human rights campaigns.
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2:27 - 2:31and new rules to charge online content providers to reach users,
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2:31 - 2:36which could mean less content going to the developing world, and blocking sites that don't pay up.
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2:36 - 2:40But the really scary part: the countries pushing hardest for ITU control
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2:40 - 2:44are the same countries that aggressively censor the internet.
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2:44 - 2:49In Russia, making a YouTube video against the Government can get you two years in jail.
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2:49 - 2:52In China, you can't even get to most social media websites
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2:52 - 2:59and Iran is trying to build its own national internet and email network to keep the entire population under its control.
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2:59 - 3:02Now the ITU also does good work.
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3:02 - 3:07They help the developing world establish telecommunication networks and expand high speed broadband connections
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3:07 - 3:10and existing internet governance isn't perfect.
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3:10 - 3:13The US has out-sized influence and authority when it comes to this.
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3:13 - 3:16But we need to fix these problems in a way that preserves
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3:16 - 3:19the openness, pragmatism and bottom-up governance,
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3:19 - 3:22that made the Internet so great.
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3:22 - 3:27This December our Governments meet to make thier final decisions about the Internet's future.
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3:27 - 3:30It's up to us internet users, in every country of the world,
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3:30 - 3:34to tell them; to stand for the open internet.
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3:34 - 3:39If everyone who sees this video speaks out and contacts their Government, w have got a chance of winning.
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3:39 - 3:40Help us share this video
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3:40 - 3:43and visit this site to speak out
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3:43 - 3:45and contact your Government right now.
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3:45 - 3:48Let's use the internet's global reach to save it.
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3:48 - 3:56Tell your leaders to oppose handing over key decisions about the Internet to the ITU.
- Title:
- How the ITU could put the internet behind closed doors.
- Description:
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Take action at http://www.whatistheITU.org
Fight for the Future and Access collaborated on this short, informative video about a serious threat to the free and open internet that could have devastating effects for human rights and free expression around the globe.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- Volunteer
- Duration:
- 04:08