Given recent revelations about the National Security Agency’s global digital surveillance apparatus, the European commission on digital affairs said on Wednesday that the United States can no longer be trusted to maintain its strong hold on internet governance and that this authority should be made less U.S.-centric and more open to international control and democratic transparency.
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“Recent revelations of large-scale surveillance have called into question the stewardship of the U.S. when it comes to internet governance,” said the commission in a statement which also offered recommendations for reforms.
“Given the U.S.-centric model of internet governance currently in place, it is necessary to broker a smooth transition to a more global model while at the same time protecting the underlying values of open multi-stakeholder governance,” the declaration continued. “Large-scale surveillance and intelligence activities have led to a loss of confidence in the internet and its present governance arrangements.”
As the Guardian reports:
On Tuesday, a global web-based protest was organized by internet freedom and anti-surveillance organizations calling for international reform and adherence to a set of 13 guiding principles for a free and open internet. Web users from around the world endorsed the call and more than 6,000 websites participated in the event protesting the behavior of the NSA as the announced their intent to “fight back” against the encroaching surveillance made public by the leaks of former intelligence contractor turned whistleblower Edward Snowden.
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