Who controlls the Internet?

Mon Jul 26 03:15:58 UTC 2010

> From: Tarig Yassin <tariq198487 at hotmail.com>
> To: nanog <nanog at nanog.org>
> Subject: Who controlls the Internet?
> Date: Sun, 25 Jul 2010 20:24:27 +0300
>
>
> Deal all
>
> I want to show you some obstacles that some countries face them every day.
>
> For example when users from Sudan trying to access some web site they will 
> get a *Forbidden Access Error* message.
>
> And some messages say: you are forbidden to access this web site because 
> your IP address appears form country black listed due to USA government 
> p= > y.

> I would like to issue a question here, who controls this Internet?

"Fluffy owns USENET", as everybody knows, and her big mean brother owns 
the Internet.  I could tell you his name, but then I'd have to kill you.

Whether you like it or not, the government of a country where a server
is located, and/or where the service operator is located, *CAN* dictate
terms to that server or service operator.  There are _no_ 'uniform'
international rules, or guarantees of aceess. 

Be thankful you're not in China, where attempts to access 'forbidden'
sites can bring the secret police knocking.

Or some of the Middle East Countries,  where *everything* going out-of-
country goes through government-owned/-operated censorship boxes.

The answer to your question -- "as asked" -- is "everybody, and NOBODY".
Any government entity can enact laws concerning what people _within_
_their_jurisdiction_ can do over the Internet, just as they can regulate
any other aspcet of 'life'.  OTOH, there's no international authority
you have to go to, to get a 'license' to get on the Internet and use it.
except to whatever extent it is controlled by local government, you can
set up services, buy connectivity from whomever you want, and -do-
whatever you want, regardless of whether or not such activities make
you a 'good net neighbor' or a 'bad' one.

As for your particular 'problem', some countries have intternational
reputations for being 'bad neighbors'.  Things like financing known
terrorist organizations, providing various facilities and training
capabilities, etc.   Countries that do things like this -- or more
properly _allow_ things like this to go on within their jurisdiction,
run the risk of being cast as 'beyond the pale' by  those countries
that frown on such things.  In which case, any resources that _might_
help those 'bad guys' with ther malevolent efforts are denied to 
_anyone_ from that country.

If you don't like being in that classification, take it up with *your*
government.

Good Luck.