QuickLinks - Information society and Internet policy

recent items

Issue no. 321 - 10 October 2004

• EU and US display unity on information society issues (EurActiv)
  At the annual EU-US information society meeting on September 17, both delegations stressed similar positions on most issues, including internet telephony (VoIP) and Digital Rights Management (DRM). The information society dialogue between the US and the European Commission has been ongoing for the past ten years. It allows exchange of information on regulatory issues and on respective positions adopted in the wider international context (World Trade Organisation, International Telecommunication Union).

• UK - Blair pledges to 'end digital divide' if re-elected (Computing)
  Prime Minister Tony Blair has committed a future Labour government to providing broadband access for all during a next term of office. Blair told delegates at the Labour Party conference that if re-elected in the General Election, he wants to 'end the digital divide' and ensure broadband is available to every home that wants it by 2008. The pledge is part of a list of 10 things Labour will provide if elected for a third consecutive term. And technology will also play a crucial role in a new Labour government in tackling terrorism. 'We will introduce ID cards and electronic registration of all who cross our borders,' said Blair. The registration programme is likely to be part of the eBorders project. eBorders will electronically track every person crossing UK borders to help fight crime, terrorism and illegal immigration. Ultimately the details of every arrival and departure will be recorded, so checks can be made on when and where a given individual arrived in and left the UK.

Issue no. 319 - 14 September 2004

• AU - Labor unpacks internet policy (Austrlian IT)
  The Australian Labor Party is to broaden the role of anti-porn agency NetAlert to include initiatives aimed at reducing identity theft and further protect consumers from spam. The policy would extend funding to a restructured and revamped NetAlert service until 2007-08. NetAlert would be renamed as SafetyOnline to reflect its broadened focus.

• EU - European Parliament questions to new Commissioners (Europarl)
  The European Parliament will be holding confirmation hearings for the Commissioners designate. Prior to the hearing, each Commissioner designate is requested to respond to a written questionnaire. Prior to the hearings, each Commissioner designate is requested to respond to a written questionnaire. The purpose of this exercise is to allow Parliament to examine the designate's personal qualifications and assess his/her broad policy approach and, as such, provide a basis for the oral phase of the hearings. The questionnaires are composed of two parts: the "general" part consists of horizontal questions which are of relevance for all Commissioner designates; the "specific" part focuses on the particular portfolio of each Commissioner designate. The European Parliament has published the questionnaires, including specific questions for Mrs. Viviane Reding (Commissioner designate for Information Society and Media).

• OCSE - Freedom of the media online (OSCE)
  On 27 and 28 August 2004, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Mr Miklos Haraszti, organised a conference on 'freedom of the media online' in the Amsterdam city hall. Two panels focussed on the problematic definition of harmful content and self-regulation. see 7. Conference report 'freedom of the media online' (EDRi-gram).

Issue no. 318 - 5 September 2004

• EE - Estonia - the state of the e-state (Baltic Times)
  Seven years ago, the then Estonian president Lennart Meri, in cooperation with the United Nations Development Fund, launched the Tiger Leap initiative, an ambitious plan to bring Estonia into the information age. The idea was to put computers into every school, to create public Internet access and to publish government documents online. A report published last month showed that 52 percent of the Estonian population aged between 6 and 74 is now using the Internet.

Issue no. 317 - 22 August 2004

• Open Ends: Civil Society and Internet Governance - Part I (CircleID)
  by Geert Lovink. This is the first part of a three-part series interview by Geert Lovink with Jeanette Hofmann, policy expert from Germany, where she talks about her experiences as a member of the ICANN's Nominating Committee and her current involvement as a civil society member of the German delegation for the World Summit of the Information Society (WSIS).

• UK - Half year report from the Ofcom Consumer Panel (Ofcom Consumer Panel)
  The Ofcom Consumer Panel held its first meeting on 23 February 2004. We think it would be helpful if we report on how we have set about carving out our work in the first six months of our existence, so that all who are interested in how we are handling our remit can see where we have got to. In future years we will report at least once a year. In terms of accountability we hope that the development of our website (www.ofcomconsumerpanel.org.uk) will enable everyone on whose behalf we are working to get a continuous view of what our priorities are and how we handle them as we go through the year. Accompanying this report are annexes, which set out: * who we are and our relationship with Ofcom ? annex 1; * how we decided to work at the outset ? our Statement of Intent ? annex 2; * the workstreams we are currently pursuing ? annex 3; * our consumer research spec ? annex 4; and * contact details ? annex 5.

• US - Averting the Internet Meltdown (Harvard Law School)
  Berkman Briefings. A call to action went out: a small, California-based organization called People for Internet Responsibility (PFIR) posted an announcement for an urgent conference ? Preventing the Internet Meltdown. The meltdown that PFIR envisioned was not an impending technical malfunction or enemy attack. Instead, conference organizers foresaw "risks of imminent disruption" to the Internet that would come from an unlikely sector: government officials and bureaucrats working on the unglamorous-sounding problems of Internet Governance.

• WSIS - Interview with United Nations Head Secretariat of WGIG (CircleID)
  The United Nations Secretary-General has appointed Markus Kummer to head the Secretariat that will support the future Working Group on Internet Governance. Mr Kummer is a Swiss career diplomat. He chaired the negotiating group that developed an agreed text on Internet governance for the WSIS Declaration of Principles and Plan of Action in December 2003. his future working group is to report to the second phase of WSIS, to be held in Tunis in 2005. Mr Kummer says: "The time-frame is very short indeed. And the task ahead of us is daunting."

Issue no. 316 - 1 August 2004

• CoE - Public consultation on future Council of Europe activities in the media field (CoE)
  At a meeting of the Council of Europe's Steering Committee on the Mass Media (CDMM) on 11-14 May 2004, it was decided to organise the 7th European Ministerial Conference on Mass Media Policy in Kyiv, Ukraine, on 10-11 March 2005. The main topics of the Conference will be 1) freedom of expression and information in times of crisis, 2) cultural diversity and media pluralism in times of globalisation and 3) human rights and regulation of the media and new communication services in the Information Society. The CDMM is now preparing the draft political texts (a draft political declaration, draft resolutions on the three main topics of the Conference and a draft action plan) to be adopted by the Ministers at the Conference, outlining priorities for future work within the Council of Europe in the area of media law and policy. In this context, the CDMM would like to invite non-governmental organisations working in the media field in Europe and other interested persons to submit their ideas and proposals as regards these future activities. The proposals should not exceed 2 pages and should be sent to the Media Division, in English or French, by 31 August 2004.

• UK - Current Internet Regulation Issues (EURIM)
  Status Report for MPs. Recently there has been increasing focus on the presence of, and ability to gain access to, illegal and harmful content online. This has been followed by calls to prevent access to such material and to regulate the Internet. Such calls often ignore the technical and / or legal barriers to doing so, and fail to take into account the collective responsibility of society in general for the Internet "cleaning up its act". We need to recognise that this is an international problem, and that the UK is leading the way in industry and law enforcement co-operation. Since 1997, UK hosted potentially illegal content is down from 18% to less than 1%. 99% of illegal content reported is traced to outside the UK. Child abuse content traced to the USA is now 55%, while content traced to Russia is 23%. International co-operation between law enforcement agencies is therefore a crucial component and one which may be hampered by lack of expertise or resources from country to country.

• UN 'off track on Internet ' - Cerf (Reuters)
  The United Nations is veering off-track in its discussions on whether government officials should set Internet policy, a founding father of the network says. Instead, governments should join together to fight electronic crime globally and develop best practices to encourage the growth of Internet commerce, said ICANN's chairman Vinton Cerf, who helped invent the Internet's early architecture.

Issue no. 315 - 18 July 2004

• EU / WSIS - Towards a global partnership in the information society: Translating principles into actions (RAPID)
  The European Commission's view on how to translate principles agreed by UN Member States in Geneva in December 2003 into action to create a worldwide information society are set out in a Commission Communication. This Communication outlines priorities and proposes actions for the second phase of the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS), which will flesh out a plan of action agreed in Geneva and is to culminate in a WSIS summit meeting in Tunis from 16 to 18 November 2005. Future WSIS work should focus on creating the right policy environment for information society technology applications to flourish, accelerating the take-up of proven applications, e.g. for e-government, e-health, and e-learning, and promoting research in this area. Unfinished work from Geneva on internet governance and financing measures to bridge the digital divide must also be completed.

• WSIS - Tunis 2005 - Human Rights caucus assesses PrepCom1 outcome (IRIS)
  After the conclusion of the first preparatory committee (PrepCom1) of the second phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), which took place in Hammamet (Tunisia) from 24 to 26 June, 2004, the Human Rights Caucus is pleased with the noteworthy advances which the starting of the Tunis phase has finally shown, despite unacceptable practices of a number of agent provocateurs who attempted to disrupt the work of civil society organizations and to discredit the Caucus and its members.

Issue no. 311 - 31 May 2004

• FR - LEN - IRIS et la LDH adressent leurs observations au Conseil constitutionnel (IRIS)
  Dans un mémoire commun adressé au Conseil constitutionnel le 24 mai 2004, l'association Imaginons un réseau Internet solidaire (IRIS) et la Ligue des droits de l'homme (LDH) soulèvent plusieurs points d'inconstitutionnalité de la loi pour la confiance dans l'économie numérique (LEN). Sans reprendre les trois points soulevés dans le texte de la saisine des parlementaires socialistes et communistes, l'argumentaire des deux associations entend compléter le texte du recours déposé par les sénateurs et députés de l'opposition le 18 mai 2004. voir aussi Première manif' organisée par les associations de défense des libertés sur le net (ZDNet France) .

• ITU - Global Support for Information Society Targets (ITU)
  A global ITU survey shows overwhelming support for the belief that if the information society is to be one in which all citizens throughout the world can equally access and use information resources for sustainable economic and social development, that cyberspace should be declared a resource to be shared by all for the global public good. This opinion was held by more than 94% of survey respondents. And these results were consistent across all the regions surveyed.

Issue no. 309 - 9 May 2004

• ITU - Internet Governance: The Way from Geneva to Tunis (ITU)
  Presentation (PDF) by Markus Kummer at ITU TELECOM Africa in Cairo, Egypt. The United Nations secretary general, Kofi Annan, has chosen Mr. Kummer, a Swiss diplomat, to head the Secretariat for the Working Group on Internet Governance.

Issue no. 307 - 25 April 2004

• FR - Projet LEN: le Sénat vote en deuxième lecture (Droit et Nouvelles Technologies)
  par Thibault Verbiest. Le 8 avril dernier, le Sénat a adopté en deuxième lecture le projet de loi pour la confiance dans l´économie numérique (LEN). Il appartient maintenant à la commission mixte paritaire, composée de 14 députés et sénateurs, d´établir la version définitive du texte de loi. L´un des faits les plus marquants du vote sénatorial concerne certainement l´atténuation du régime de responsabilité des hébergeurs. L´Assemblée nationale avait, en seconde lecture, imposé aux hébergeurs une obligation de surveiller le contenu des sites qu'ils abritent en vue de lutter contre les contenus pédophiles, négationnistes et racistes. En accord avec Patrick Devedjian, ministre délégué à l´Industrie, un amendement a été adopté visant à supprimer cette obligation, jugée contraire à la directive communautaire 2000/31/CE relative au commerce électronique. Les hébergeurs seront en revanche obligés d'accepter un contrôle des sites a posteriori, sur saisine des autorités judiciaires. Le Sénat a également ajouté la possibilité pour l'autorité judiciaire de prescrire aux FAI en référé ou sur requête, « toutes mesures propres à prévenir un dommage ou à faire cesser un dommage occasionné par le contenu d'un service de communication au public en ligne ». En outre, en conformité avec la directive sur le commerce électronique qui encourage l'adoption de codes de conduite, le Sénat a introduit cette nouvelle disposition : « Le ministre en charge des communications électroniques encourage les personnes mentionnées au 2 à élaborer une charte de bonne conduite afin d'empêcher les infractions visées aux cinquième et huitième alinéas de l'article 24 de la loi du 29 juillet 1881 sur la liberté de la presse et à l'article 227.23 du code pénal.. » Les FAI n´ont pas traîner à réagir : début avril, l'association représentative des professionnels de l'accès Internet en France (l'AFA) a élaboré une nouvelle charte visant à mieux identifier les contenus illicites.

• WSIS - Preparatory Process: World Summit on the Information Society (ITU)
  A Preparatory Meeting for the Tunis phase of the Summit will take place in Hammamet, Tunisia, from 24-26 June 2004. An invitation letter will be sent out end of April and pre-registration will start in May 2004. More information regarding this meeting, including dates for registration, will be available soon. see also WSIS E-Flash.

Issue no. 305 - 28 March 2004

• CoE - EU ratifies Convention on notifying new national rules for on-line services (RAPID)
  The EU has signed Council of Europe Convention 180, establishing an international mechanism for the prior notification of national rules on online services, so that regulations adopted in one country do not affect services in others without consultation. This mechanism is based on the EU system of legislative transparency introduced by the 'Notifications' Directive 98/34/EC. The Convention's aim is to enhance the transparency and coherence of national rules on information society services as far as possible, since these services are by definition often provided across borders.

• United Nations ponders Net's future (CNET News.com)
  The United Nations wants a big piece of the Internet. At a summit, delegates from around the world gathered to take a preliminary step toward U.N. involvement in some of the areas that are bedeviling Internet users and governments alike, including spam, network security, privacy and the regulation of the technical underpinnings that control the sprawling global network. U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan set the tone in a speech criticizing the current system through which Internet standards are set and domain names are handled, a process currently dominated by the United States, Canada, Europe and Japan. Such structures 'must be made accessible and responsive to the needs of all the world's people,' Annan said. the summit will hear recommendations from five different U.N. working groups on topics including everything from domain names to root server operation to free speech and intellectual property to privacy. see Sixth Meeting of the UN ICT Task Force Global Forum On Internet Governance.

Issue no. 304 - 21 March 2004

• EU - Information society: new Member States catching up but still long way off (Euractiv)
  The digital divide remains wide as the EU's ICT catch-up programme for candidate countries comes to an end: 23 per cent of the population does not know how to use a computer. The E-Europe+ Action Plan is the roadmap for information society designed specifically for acceding and candidate countries. It was launched at the Göteburg European summit in 2001 to enable them to catch-up with the 15 EU Member States that had already embarked on a programme of their own. A ministerial conference in Budapest on 26-27 February marked the end of the catching-up period for the new Member States under e-Europe+ with the presentation of a final progress report. They are now joining the EU 15 on the e-Europe 2005 Action Plan. However, the remaining three candidate states (Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey) continue to stay within the framework of e-Europe+.

Issue no. 302 - 15 February 2004

• FR - Installation du Conseil Consultatif de l'Internet: la protection des mineurs (Internet.gouv.fr)
  Claudie Haigneré, a installé le Conseil Consultatif de l'Internet. Ce conseil est chargé de conseiller le Gouvernement sur toutes les questions qui concernent les communications électroniques. Comme l'a indiqué Claudie Haigneré, ce n'est nullement un organe de régulation mais un lieu de réflexion sur les enjeux éthiques et sociétaux de l'internet, un 'conseil des sages' composé 'd'élus de la représentation nationale, de représentants des instances de régulation et de 10 personnalités qualifiées.' La première réunion de ce conseil et son installation se sont déroulé dans les locaux du ministère de la Famille. Elle avait en effet pour thème la « Protection des mineurs sur Internet ».

Issue no. 301 - 8 February 2004

• EU - Connecting Europe at high speed: recent developments in the electronic communications sector (RAPID)
  The importance of investment and use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for further growth and jobs in Europe is highlighted in a communication adopted by the Commission. It underlines the importance of the electronic communication sector for the health of the European economy and its key role in boosting productivity. Further growth will be driven by the provision of new services over high-speed fixed and wireless networks making use of broadband and 3G mobile communications, while policy makers must do more to create the conditions for faster investment. The report singles out the implementation of the new regulatory framework for electronic communications, action to extend broadband coverage in underserved areas, stimulating demand and the successful role out of third generation mobile communications as top priorities. This should be supported by the on-going mid-term review of the eEurope 2005 Action Plan.

Issue no. 300 - 1 February 2004

• WSIS - Conference Hype or Lasting Change? (Berkman Briefings)
  This report analyzes the two formal documents adopted at the World Summit on the Information Society - the Declaration of Principles and the Plan of Action. The briefing asks whether the rhetoric of the documents will have any impact on the future of ICTs internationally.

Issue no. 299 - 24 January 2004

• UK - ISPA reveals the heroes and villains of the Net (PC Pro)
  The Internet Service Providers Association (ISPA), the body that represents UK ISPs, has announced the shortlists for the 2004 ISPA Awards. The awards are split into three categories: ISP, which recognises the best of its kind in a number of consumer and businesss categories; Supplier, which garlands the companies that provide the UK's networks, routers, exchanges and applications; and the Special Awards, including the Internet Hero and Internet Villain gongs. ISPA will announce the winners of the 2004 ISPAs on 19 February.

Issue no. 298 - 18 January 2004

• FR - French green-light radical overhaul of internet and telecoms (Silicon.com)
  The French internet landscape is taking on the look of a battlefield, after the country's MPs approved a second reading earlier this month of the 'Confidence in the digital economy' bill. The bill aims to clarify legislation in several areas: e-commerce; service providers' legal responsibilities; the various remits of regulators; cybercrime; and telecoms. see also French ISPs angry over "Digital Economy" bill (out-law.com).

• FR - L'internet français se mobilise contre une loi jugée liberticide (Libération)
  La quasi-totalité des fournisseurs d'accès internet (FAI) français ont menacé de fermer leurs services d'hébergement si le Parlement approuvait en l'état un projet de loi visant à les contraindre à contrôler préablement tous les contenus diffusés sur leurs réseaux. Le texte destiné à renforcer la confiance dans l'économie numérique a déjà été adopté en seconde lecture par l'Assemblée nationale et qui doit examiner le mois prochain par le Sénat. Le texte stipule que les FAI et portails internet hébergeant des pages personnelles ou communautaires "mettent en oeuvre les moyens conformes à l'état de l'art pour empêcher la diffusion de données constitutives des infractions" d'incitation à la haine raciale, de négationnisme et de pédo-pornographie. Outre l'obligation de surveillance et de filtrage pour les hébergeurs, les FAI soulignent qu'une autre disposition du projet de loi désacralise le courrier électronique, qui n'est plus considérée comme de la correspondance privée.

• What is cyberlaw? (Susan Crawford)
  Cyberlaw is usually taught as a mish-mosh of modules - a drop of privacy, a smattering of trademark, a heh-heh at the Barlow manifesto, a moment of copyright (and, in my case, a big dollop of the broadcast flag/analog hole debate), and some bemusement at internet governance. But maybe the real subject is not the application of terrestrial law to the internet. Maybe that's not even interesting. Maybe we need to study what's emerging online and how or whether it consists of sets of rules that individuals and ISPs and corporations and governments are following. But how do I reveal that? How do we find it in a law school classroom? What's on the exam (a frequent question I get)? Send me samples of what a real cyberlaw course should cover. see A Brief Response to Susan Crawford (Ernest Miller).

Issue no. 297 - 11 January 2004

• EU - E-Europe and satellite broadcasting regulation tops Irish Presidency telecoms agenda (EurActiv.ocm)
  Irish Communications Minister Dermot Ahern has outlined Ireland's priorities during its six-month Presidency of the Telecoms Council. The mid-term review of the e-Europe Action Plan ahead of the Spring summit will be the Presidency's main highlight. Broadband: Mr Ahern outlined the rollout and exploitation of broadband infrastructure as the main issue facing EU Ministers. Mr Ahern calls on the Commission to consider mandating minimum levels of broadband deployment in schools as a way of laying the foundations to meet the Lisbon targets. An informal ministerial conference is planned in late April to explore broadband stimulation from both the demand and supply sides. Spam: The Presidency will try to reach an international agreement to impose penalties on 'spammers'. Broadcasting: A Presidency proposal plans to make satellite broadcasters subject to tighter regulation by making broadcasters fall under the jurisdiction of the EU countries in which they provide services. A Ministerial Conference is scheduled on 2-3 March 2004 to deal with the revision of the Television Without Frontiers directive.

• FR - Loi Fontaine: le paysage internet français chamboulé après le vote des députés (ZDNet France)
  Au menu des modifications apportées par les députés, en seconde lecture, au projet de loi pour la confiance dans l´économie numérique (LCEN): obligation de surveillance des contenus hébergés pour les prestataires, statut d'opérateur pour les collectivités territoriales, et fin du contrôle de l'ART sur les tarifs de France Télécom. Prochain stade: 2e lecture au Sénat. Le texte devait clarifier la législation applicable dans de nombreux secteurs: le commerce électronique, la responsabilité des prestataires techniques, les domaines de compétence des diverses autorités de régulation, la cybercriminalité mais aussi les télécoms. voir aussi Loi sur l'économie numérique - Résumé des amendements adoptés (Reuters), Le courrier électronique décacheté par la loi (Libération), « Vous confirmez donc le choix d'une justice privée ! » (IRIS) et Télécoms: Paris répond aux inquiétudes de Bruxelles sur les pouvoirs de l'ART (LeRevenu.com).

Issue no. 296 - 4 January 2004

• Caution over 'computerised world' (ITU)
  In a BBC news article: Caution over 'computerised world', researchers argue that more discussion is needed about the idea of putting microchips (e.g. RFIDs) in everyday objects. The actual study is The Precautionary Principle in the Information Society - Impacts of Pervasive Computing on Health and the Environment performed by the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research (EMPA). The entire report is currently only available in German (PDF) but a summary is available in several other languages (PDF). "Looking at the Information Society, the precautionary principle requires that the propagation of technologies which could possibly cause great damage should not be nonreversible." The study echoes the concerns about rapid RFID deployment expressed by Professor Ken Sakamura of Tokyo University (see Visions of Ubiquitous Networks from ITU TELECOM World 2003) in his paper Ubiquitous Computing: Making It a Reality (PDF).

• US - Internet Law Year in Review 2003 (GigaLaw.com)
  by Doug Isenberg. Internet law in 2003 was full of surprises, with Congress passing an anti-spam bill, the courts blessing pop-up advertising, the music industry losing lawsuits, and the Supreme Court finally upholding an Internet law. And those are just a few of the highlights from a year in which technology and the law saw their biggest clashes yet.

• What the net did next (BBC)
  The internet is set to become the basis for just about every form of communication, according to net pioneer Vint Cerf, and he should know what he is talking about.

Issue no. 295 - 21 December 2003

• FR - Le Conseil consultatif de l'internet vient de voir le jour (ZDNet France)
  Claudie Haigneré, ministre déléguée à la Recherche et aux Nouvelles Technologies, avait promis la création du Conseil consultatif de l'internet (CCI). Une sorte de «conseil des sages» destiné à «éclairer les choix de la puissance publique sur l'internet». Le décret entérinant sa création est paru au Journal officiel du 9 décembre. Placé sous la tutelle du ministère de la Recherche, cet organisme sera chargé de conseiller le gouvernement sur les questions relatives aux nouvelles technologies. La liste de ses membres sera dévoilée en janvier lors de sa mise en place effective.

• Internet et liberté d'expression: consensus impossible au Sommet de Genève (ZDNet France)
  La société de l'information a-t-elle les moyens de ses ambitions? La bonne volonté exprimée dans la déclaration finale du SMSI a été édulcorée par des initiatives diplomatiques visant à ménager certains États oppresseurs. Comme la Chine et la Tunisie.

Issue no. 294 - 14 December 2003

• FR - Les industries culturelles hostiles à un "droit de l'internet" (AFP)
  Le Comité de liaison des industries culturelles (CLIC) s'est déclaré opposé à un amendement de l'assemblée dans le projet de loi sur l'économie numérique visant à donner une 'nouvelle définition de la communication publique en ligne'."

• Sommet information: la régulation de l'internet reviendra sur la table à Tunis (AFP)
  Le dossier de la régulation de l'internet, effleuré à Genève lors de la première phase du Sommet mondial sur la société de l'information (SMSI), reviendra sur la table des négociations pour la deuxième phase du SMSI, en novembre 2005, à Tunis. Faute de consensus lors des réunions préparatoires à la réunion de Genève, qui le SMSI a reporté à plus tard une décision sur l'éventuel transfert à un organe de l'Onu de la régulation de l'internet, auquel s'opposent fermement les Etats-Unis. voir aussi Allocution du Premier Ministre, M. Jean-Pierre Raffarin. Interventions de la ministre deleguée à la recherche et aux nouvelles technologies, Mme Claudie Haignère, Internet et le developpement humain lors de la table ronde organisee par le ministere de la jeunesse, de l'education nationale et de la recherche, et lors de la table ronde officielle créer des opportunités numériques.

• Understanding WSIS: An Institutional Perspective on the UN World Summit on the Information Society (IP3)
  WSIS is hard to understand. The 2003 Geneva meeting of the UN World Summit on the Information Society has brought thousands of people to Geneva to articulate a collective vision about the benefits and potentials of information in society and the policies needed to realize them. Even immediate participants have difficulty understanding what has been achieved. With so many recommendations, which ones will lead to concrete political action and social change? What is important and why?

• WSIS - EU approves of Net summit direction (InfoWorld)
  Don't screw up a running system. This isn't advice from a computer expert but a message delivered by European Commission technology commissioner Erkki Liikanen at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Geneva. "The Internet has been a wonderful story," he said at a news conference. "It is very important that we guarantee stability." Like the U.S., the EU favors upholding the status quo on the thorny issue of "Internet governance" - namely, to stick with the most-recognized Net governing body, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), until that organization can be improved or even replaced. "Internet governance" has emerged as one of the key issues in the Net summit, which aims to help bridge the digital divide between poor and rich countries. The term, however, has evolved from its early technical focus on names, numbers and protocols to include policy issues. see EU - Statement by Mr Liikanen at the World Summit on Information Society (RAPID). Mr Erkki Liikanen, Member of the European Commission, responsible for Enterprise and the Information Society. First Plenary Session World Summit on Information Society, Geneva, 10 December 2003 and World Summit to set out a strategic vision for a global information society (RAPID).

• WSIS - U.N. Summit Calls for Wired World (Reuters)
  More than 170 countries approved an ambitious call to extend the Internet and the benefits of information technology to the poorest corners of the world, but dodged some of the difficulties of doing so. In particular, they put off a decision on whether to set up a special fund to finance the necessary infrastructure, for which African countries had lobbied hard. Declaration of Principles and Plan of Action. see also UN summit pledges net for all (BBC), UN summit fails to bridge digital divide (Associated Press) and Mission accomplished for Switzerland (NZZ).

• WSIS: Mit schmalem Gepäck beim Weltgipfel für die Informationsgesellschaft (Heise)
  von Monika Ermert. Die Integration der Zivilgesellschaft, die Einigung über Menschenrechtsfragen und die Tatsache, dass der Gipfel erst einmal stattgefunden hat - dies bezeichnete Rezzo Schlauch als wichtigste Erfolge des ersten Weltgipfels der Informationsgesellschaft (WSIS). Schlauch, parlamentarischer Staatsekreträr im Bundeswirtschaftsministerium, war kurzfristig für seinen Minister Wolfgang Clement als deutscher Regierungsvertreter auf dem Weltgipfel eingesprungen. Fragen, ob Deutschland sich eher zurückhaltend an den Gipfelvorbereitungen beteiligt habe, verneinte er bei seiner Kurzvisite am kleinen und ganz in die Ecke gerückten deutschen Gemeinschaftsstand auf der dem Gipfel angeschlossenen ICT4D-Messe. siehe auch WSIS: Zoff um Internet-Zugang für den Weltgipfel der Informationsgesellschaft und Nach Mitternacht ging es nur noch ums Geld (Telepolis) von Wolfgang Kleinwächter.

Issue no. 293 - 7 December 2003

• ICANN, WSIS and the Making of a Global Civil Society (CircleID)
  First part of a two-part series interview by Geert Lovink with Milton Mueller discussing ICANN, World Summit on the Information Society, and the escalating debates over Internet Governance. Second part of interview. see also ICANN - At the Moment, No One Governs the Internet (CircleID) by Susan Crawford. ICANN was designed to keep other governments at bay. ICANN has, however, no particular delegated power beyond that accorded to it by the contracts it has signed with registries and registrars. At the moment, no one governs the Internet. ICANN isn't about Internet governance (whatever that means). ICANN worries about registries and number allocation. That's it. If the world wants to make rules about content and identity and intellectual property and cybercrime, the world will have to find another vessel. ICANN cannot bear that burden. see also What is WSIS Getting At?.

• WSIS - Rifts mar digital divide summit (BBC)
  The aim of the World Summit on the Information Society is to come up with a global plan to ensure everyone has access to information and communications technologies. With the summit due to kick off on 10 December, last ditch efforts are continuing to reach agreement on key issues such as the role of the media in the digital age and who should run the internet. see also U.N. confab to see tussle over Net control (Reuters). A controversial plan to grant governments broad controls over the Internet has stolen the spotlight of a United Nations conference on IT, where China and Cuba will be among its strongest supporters.

• WSIS - Think Web's virtually government free? Think again (Toronto Star)
  by Michael Geist. Coverage of the results of a global study jointly conducted by the ITU and myself on the role of national governments and their national domains. The study, which covered 56 countries from every global region and a broad cross-section of developed and developing countries, finds that virtually every government that responded to the survey either manages, retains direct control, or is contemplating formalizing its relationship with its ccTLD. The column concludes that the debate at next week's World Summit on the Information Society is not whether governments should be involved in "Internet governance", but rather how they will be involved in the issue.

• WSIS / DE - Gipfel zur Informationsgesellschaft ohne Kanzler (Heise)
  von Monika Ermert. Bundeskanzler Gerhard Schröder nimmt nicht am Weltgipfel der Informationsgesellschaft (WSIS ) im Dezember in Genf teil. Ein Regierungssprecher betonte gegenüber heise online, das sei keinesfalls als 'Absage an die Informationsgesellschaft' zu verstehen. Der Termindruck mache die Teilnahme des Kanzlers schlicht unmöglich.

Issue no. 292 - 23 November 2003

• EU - Ministers to approve agency to combat cybercrime (Euractiv.com)
  The setting up of a Network and Information Security Agency, the switchover to digital TV and pan-European egovernment services are the main issues being discussed by telecoms ministers on 20 November. The telecommunications minister will have to tackle several important issues during their Council meeting on Thursday 20 November 2003: a political agreement is likely to be reached on a regulation establishing the European Network and Information Security Agency. This agency should enhance the capability to prevent security problems arising from the use of information networks (hacking, virus attacks) ; conclusions will be adopted on the transition from analogue to digital TV and radio broadcasting and the Member States' policies for this switchover process; conclusions will be approved on access to information society services through open platforms (digital TV and 3rd generation mobile) ; an exchange of views will be held on the situation of electronic communications in Europe (broadband and 3rd generation as the drivers of an upturn in this sector); conclusions will be adopted on the role of eGovernment for Europe's future. other points: the World Summit on the Information Society (Communication from the Commission) and a report on the state of legislation and policy as regards digital content in Europe. see also Preparation of the Telecom Council (RAPID), Provisional Press Release

• WSIS - Commissioner Liikanen underlines the need for a common vision shared by nations worldwide (RAPID)
  The World Summit on the Information Society, which is to be held in Geneva from 10 to 12 December 2003, represents a unique opportunity to build on the Information Society policies being developed in the EU. This was the view which Erkki Liikanen, European Commissioner for Enterprise and the Information Society, shared with the Telecom Council today, when the World Summit was on the agenda. The EU has been very actively participating in the preparatory meetings for the Summit, and Member States have agreed to a common EU approach for negotiations.

• WSIS - Weltgipfel der Informationsgesellschaft: Commitment statt Kohle (Heise)
  von Monika Ermert.Die wieder aufgenommenen Diskussion um Deklaration und Aktionsplan für den UNO-Weltgipfel für eine globale Informationsgesellschaft (WSIS) schloss erneut ohne Ergebnis. Noch einmal wollen sich Regierungsvertreter nun am 5. und 6. Dezember zusammensetzen, um doch noch unterschriftsreife Dokumente für den für 10. Dezember geplanten ersten Weltgipfel der Informationsgesellschaft zu Stande zu bringen.

more items

QuickLinks consists of

• a free newsletter appearing approximately once a week. The newsletter is distributed by electronic mail through an "announcement only" mailing list. To be included on the mailing list, send a blank email to quicklinkshtml-subscribe@yahoogroups.com (HTML) or quicklinks-subscribe@yahoogroups.com (Text)
• a Web site with frequent updates, an events page, news items organised by category as well as chronologically by issue and full text search.