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A firsthand look at the UN conference that nearly changed the internet forever

A firsthand look at the UN conference that nearly changed the internet forever

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WCIT conference
WCIT conference

Eli Dourado is no stranger to the International Telecommunications Union; concerned with the agency's lack of transparency, he was one of the people responsible for creating WCITLeaks. The site combatted ITU's alarming secrecy by posting leaked documents from the UN body for all to see. As fears that drastic changes to internet governance could be afoot at a conference in Dubai earlier this month, the United States delegation asked Dourado to come along for the trip. He's now posted an in-depth account of what exactly went on at World Conference on International Telecommunications at Ars Technica.

It's a telling, behind-the-scenes look at a gathering where consensus among participating nations seemed impossible to reach. Dourado addresses the controversial bill that would have dramatically shifted control of the internet to the ITU and its individual member states — an effort that was ultimately shot down. Even so, the US never signed on to the final agreement reached at WCIT, but Dourado says the delegation was satisfied with much of what it had accomplished. You can find the entire fascinating read at Ars Technica now.