1net

Mar '14

There have been several high-profile articles this week, all pointing to the same basic idea: the US government has abused its position with respect to the Internet and there needs to be a change.

First there was Tim Berners-Lee saying there needs to be a Web "Bill of Rights" because the web has "come under increasing attack from governments and corporate influence and that new rules were needed to protect the 'open, neutral' system."

Then an article in Wired UK arguing that the United States' "disproportionate influence" is undermining the Web1's freedom and openness.

And then today, the CEO of one of the Internet's biggest companies, Facebook, has posted a strong statement complaining that "the US government should be the champion for the internet, not a threat".

So have we reached a tipping point when it comes to the US government's role and behavior online and in Internet governance?

Does the information about NSA activity on the Internet translate to a need to change the Internet governance mechanisms in place?

Or is this a situation that will swing back in a few months when people consider what the real-world alternatives are?

What role can, or should, /1net play in this conversation?