U.N. could tax U.S.-based Web sites, leaked docs show

[Heath]

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-574...ked-docs-show/

The United Nations is considering a new Internet tax targeting the largest Web content providers, including Google, Facebook, Apple, and Netflix, that could cripple their ability to reach users in developing nations.

The European proposal, offered for debate at a December meeting of a U.N. agency called the International Telecommunication Union, would amend an existing telecommunications treaty by imposing heavy costs on popular Web sites and their network providers for the privilege of serving non-U.S. users, according to newly leaked documents.

The documents (No. 1 No. 2) punctuate warnings that the Obama administration and Republican members of Congress raised last week about how secret negotiations at the ITU over an international communications treaty could result in a radical re-engineering of the Internet ecosystem and allow governments to monitor or restrict their citizens' online activities.
"It's extremely worrisome," Sally Shipman Wentworth, senior manager for public policy at the Internet Society, says about the proposed Internet taxes. "It could create an enormous amount of legal uncertainty and commercial uncertainty."

The leaked proposal was drafted by the European Telecommunications Network Operators Association, or ETNO, a Brussels-based lobby group representing companies in 35 nations that wants the ITU to mandate these fees.

Heath Reviewed by Heath on 11th Jun 2012. U.N. could tax U.S.-based Web sites, leaked docs show http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-57449375-83/u.n-could-tax-u.s.-based-web-sites-leaked-docs-show/ http://asset3.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2012/06/07/unbw.jpg Rating: 5

[WDF]

Since when is the UN a taxing authority in any nation?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations#Funding

[Heath]

Exactly what I was thinking. Amazing how they seem to think they DO have authority to even suggest such a thing, for something they don't even own.

[ShareShiz]

The internet isnt owned by anyone. So how can one tax the internet ?

[Connor]

@SharShiz
You're right, they can't, which is why this stupid idea for regulating something related to the internet will die like almost all the others made up recently.

[cvrle77]

The internet isnt owned by anyone. So how can one tax the internet ?

Internet, as a whole isn't, but servers, traffic, domains, and everything that internet consists of, is owned by someone.

So, the way most of people see internet, is false. No ISPs, no internet in your country.
So, hows that internet is not owned by anyone, when every ISP must abide by that country laws?