"If the U.N. were to be successful in its efforts to control the Internet, countries where human rights records range from questionable to criminal could be put in charge of determining what is and is not allowed to appear online"
- John Doolittle
About this Quote
This quote by John Doolittle is an alerting about the potential repercussions of the United Nations (U.N.) attempting to control the Internet. He is recommending that if the U.N. were to be successful in its efforts, countries with doubtful or criminal human rights records might be put in charge of deciding what is and is not enabled to appear online. This could result in a circumstance where these countries could censor or limit access to certain sites, and even obstruct access to certain kinds of material. This might have a destructive effect on freedom of expression and access to details, as well as possibly leading to the spread of false information and propaganda. It is therefore important that the U.N. considers the potential effects of its actions when trying to manage the Internet.
About the Author