Changes to the International Telecommunication Regulations (ITRs) can only abide...
Changes to the International Telecommunication Regulations (ITRs) can only abide by existing ITU provisions to spur the public right to communicate through international public networks, said Hamadoun Toure, the ITU secretary-general, following the final three-day meeting of the Council working…
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group on preparations for the World Conference on International Telecommunication in December. He said he wanted to set the record straight on some issues that have emerged publicly about the preparations. All countries impose some restrictions, he said, for example, to protect copyright owners or to protect from defamation. Some countries go further, he said referring to restrictions on pornography, gambling, hate speech, negation of genocide, and even certain types of political speech. An ITU provision allows countries to cut off private telecommunications that “may appear dangerous to the security of the state or contrary to its laws,” public order or decency, he said. The ITRs can’t contradict that provision either, he said. The suggestion that there is a conflict “or war” between telecom and the Internet “is plainly ridiculous,” Toure said. “Who today can tell me the difference, in terms of traffic packing across networks, between voice, video and data?” he asked. The “real question” is how best to cooperate to ensure the free flow of information, the continued development of broadband, the continued investment in networks, services and applications, he said.