Yesterday we told you how an upcoming UN summit in Tunisia would be a show down between the US and its rivals as they sought to rest control of the Internet from its creators. The US has maintained administrative control of the Internet since its inception in 1969. As the Internet has become more and integrated in our daily lives, rival forces in Europe and in the developing world have demanded a greater say in the operation of the Internet. The US, however, maintained that it would not give up administrative control as there was no clear advantage, not to mention that a crucial tool in the hands of the UN would be a disaster, like every other UN administered program or initiative.

For the time being it appears that crisis has been averted, the US was unwilling to relinquish control but floated the idea of an international forum to discuss issues pertaining to the Internet, the forum’s decisions would be non-binding but would give other nations, who have invested nothing in creating the Internet, a sense of involvement. In reality the anti-US camp realized their position was untenable. The US most certainly would not have given up control and these countries further realized that creating a new Internet, in addition to being inefficient and costly would create more harm than good for the dissemination of information and commerce. This international forum is nothing more than a face saving measure for the international socialists who failed in their bid to assume control for something for which they were neither responsible nor significant in growing or maintaining.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4441544.stm