United States, others, nix Internet treaty

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- The U.S. contingent at a United Nations conference in Dubai opposed a final draft of an international treaty meant to increase regulation of the Internet.

"The Internet has given the world unimaginable economic and social benefit during these past 24 years, all without United Nations regulation. We candidly cannot support an International Telecoms Union Treaty that is inconsistent with the multi-stakeholder model of Internet governance," the U.S. delegation said.

The Guardian said the United States was the first to stand in opposition to the treaty. Britain, Canada, Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Sweden, Qatar, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Poland and Egypt also joined in opposing the treaty, the newspaper said Saturday.

"In the end, the ITU and the conference chair, having backed themselves to the edge of a cliff, dared governments to push them off. They duly did," said Kieren McCarthy, who runs the Internet consulting firm dot-nxt.