

Axioms of Internet Governance: Why we've failed so far - woodrow
http://www.cukier.com/writings/oii-netgov-may05.html

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oldnumber7
Governments could control the internet to a greater degree (see: China), but
given how entrenched the multinational, cross-border culture of the internet
has become, the nature of the internet lends itself to corporate control much
more than state governance. Corporations are not as restricted by such
arbitrary boundaries, and large conglomerates' international reach can better
control the flow of traffic and information than a government that is mostly
relegated to controlling aspects within their geographical limits.

So while the goal of public interest advocacy to promote open networks is
noble, it faces the same problems that governments see in other forms of
internet regulation. The limit of one country's abilities may be outweighed by
private interests. The only way the internet can stay an equal and open forum
in this sense is if it is economically advantageous for corporations to
provide this service, though I fear the potential undermining of their control
and ultimately their bottom line may lead them to restrict according to their
agenda.

