Eli Dourado on WCITLeaks and internet governance

Jerry Brito and WCITLeaks co-creator Eli Dourado have a conversation about the recent World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT), a UN treaty conference that delved into questions of Internet governance.

In the lead-up to WCIT—which was convened to review the International Telecommunication Regulations (ITRs)—access to preparatory reports and proposed modifications to the ITRs was limited to International Telecommunications Union (ITU) member states and a few other privileged parties. Internet freedom advocates worried that the member states would use WCIT as an opportunity to exert control over the Internet. Frustrated by the lack of transparency, Brito and Dourado created WCITLeaks.org, which publishes leaked ITU documents from anonymous sources.

In December, Dourado traveled to Dubai as a member of the U.S. delegation and got an insider’s view of the politics behind international telecommunications policy. Dourado shares his experiences of the conference, what its failure means for the future of Internet freedom, and why the ITU is not as neutral as it claims.

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Related Links


WCITLeaks, Brito and Dourado

Final Acts of the World Conference on International Telecommunications, ITU

Behind closed doors at the UN’s attempted “takeover of the Internet”:
Conflicting visions for the future of the Internet collide in Dubai., Ars Technica

WCIT is about People vs. Their Governments, The Technology Liberation Front