A large meeting was held in Koncha-Zaspa on June 9-11 to discuss state control over the Internet. As Internet.ru reports, concrete decisions on all these questions had been made well before the meeting. In particular, it was planned to hand over administration of the *.ua domain to a registrar whose name will be known after the State Committee for Communications (which will be entrusted with this task) approves the relevant candidature. It will be recalled that there is in fact no national *.ua domain currently.
A tough decision will be made on provider licensing, which will automatically bring down the number of providers in Ukraine by a whole order of magnitude. As to the introduction of SORM (a system to monitor Internet transmissions — Ed.), this is so far only “an object for discussion.” As the Internet.ru correspondent came to learn, this issue is also being lobbied by one market player who hopes to obtain a “state order” to install the necessary equipment, using the techniques of the providers who will survive after licensing.
Re-division of the Ukrainian Internet market in favor of the state has long been imminent, and, Intenet.ru thinks the market itself is not resisting the process. Many companies even support the idea of government regulation. In particular, licensing will help big providers to clear small-scale rivals off the market, while the emergence of a national domain area, in fact controlled by the state registrar, will neutralize conflicts over domain names, now at the mercy of providers.
Moreover, Russian Internet publications admit the Ukrainian authorities will actively use their Internet control opportunities to combat political opponents and the “unsuitable” media.
Yuri Korzh, general manager of Global Ukraine and a participant in the meeting, assesses optimistically the Koncha-Zaspa get-together:
“Thank God that this exchange of opinions took place. What is more, governmental agencies were represented on a high level. Both the Security Service and the State Committee for Communications were represented by their heads. State Secretary Viktor Lysytsky, representatives of the information committee and Ukrtelekom, and people’s deputies also took part. On the other hand, Ukraine’s leading Internet providers were also on hand. All could speak out about their fears in a democratic, open, and friendly atmosphere. Now everybody understands each other, and nobody will fear that governmental regulation is a bad thing. It happens to be a good thing. Well, we knew this even before, but regional providers did not have a clear picture. The decisions made are so democratic and laconic that all accepted them well. And there will be no problems in further work.”
INCIDENTALLY
Participants in the joint meeting “The State and the Internet” have finally resolved, among other things, that they:
— support the initiative to form the Association of Internet Ukraine Market Participants;
— consider it necessary to discuss additionally the problems connected with the necessity and conditions of Internet services licensing. Moreover, licensing should not be used as an instrument for reducing competition;
— consider it expedient set up a work group to draw up legislation on the Internet and speed up the drafting of the bills On the Protection of Information in Informational and Telecommunications Systems, On the Electronic Document, On Digital Signatures, and On the Protection of Personal Data;
— consider it advisable to set up a work group to work out the mechanisms of information protection and illegal information monitoring and filtration;
— accept the possibility of carrying out a legal monitoring of data link networks exclusively on the basis of national and international law, including the provisions in the Council of Europe’s ENFOPOL-98 resolution; and
— consider it advisable that the .UA national domain be managed by a Ukrainian resident organization and consider it necessary to set up a working group to administer this domain.
