'Global rules will curb cyber crime'

The British government on Tuesday said there was a strong need to formulate agreed ‘rules of the road’ around the world in controlling the flow of information on the global information highway.

Speaking at The London Conference on Cyberspace, foreign secretary (minister) William Hague said great caution must, however, be exercised to ensure the internet remained open and not fragmented and ghettoised, subject to separate rules and processes in different regions, set by isolated national services.

“My passionate conviction is that all human rights should carry full force online; not just privacy, but the right to freedom of expression. Human rights are universal. Cultural differences are not an excuse to water down human rights, nor can the exploitation of digital networks by a minority of criminals or terrorists be a justification for states to censor their citizens,” Hague said.

He proposed seven principles as a basis for more effective cooperation between states, business and organisations. Amongst the rules put forward, Hague said any attempt to censor the cyberspace must ensure it remains open to innovation and free flow of ideas, information and expression.

Experts also warned against fear-mongering in cyberspace. Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia, cautioned the delegates about “misguided and over-reaching government policies” trying to control the flow and access of information in cyberspace.

India was represented at the conference by Sachin Pilot, minister of state for communications and information technology. Pilot said there were at least 110 million internet users in India, third largest in the world after the US and China.

Global coordination can ensure the internet can thrive without continued attacks, Pilot said. He said India remained committed to be a permanent participant to stimulate action on issues.

Around 900 delegates from a little over 60 countries are participating at the two-day annual conference, hosted by London this year. Next year’s conference will be at Hungary; in 2013, it would be hosted by South Korea.

Get a birds-eye view of The London Conference on Cyberspace 2011 at http://debategraph.org/londoncyber