David Gross Comments on Recent Senate Resolution Denouncing Potential Internet Control Hand-off

Ambassador David A. Gross, chair of Wiley Rein's International Telecommunications Group, was quoted by Politico after the U.S. Senate condemned efforts to have an United Nations agency, specifically the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), play a larger role regarding important aspects of the Internet.

During the negotiations over revising a 1988 international telecommunication treaty this December in Dubai, the 193 governments who are members of the ITU will decide whether the ITU should play a more significant role regarding various critically important aspects of the Internet.  This issue has united both Republicans and Democrats in the House and Senate; both entities recently passed resolutions denouncing efforts to expand international, intergovernmental regulations over the Internet. Amb. Gross remarked, “The Senate resolution will be important. The world watches very carefully what our Congress does on these types of matters…and the fact that Republicans and Democrats are so unified on this issue is noticed and important globally.”