III 112th CONGRESS 2d Session S. RES. 446 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES April 26, 2012 Mr. Rubio (for himself, Mr. McCain, Mr. Johanns, and Ms. Ayotte) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations RESOLUTION Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United Nations and other intergovernmental organizations should not be allowed to exercise control over the Internet.

Whereas market-based policies and private sector leadership have given the Internet flexibility to evolve; Whereas the position of the United States Government is and has been to advocate for the free flow of information, Internet freedom, and multi-stakeholder governance of the Internet internationally; Whereas the current multi-stakeholder model of Internet governance has enabled the Internet to flourish and allowed the private sector, civil society, academia, and individual users to play an important role in charting the direction of the Internet; Whereas, given the importance of the Internet to the global economy, it is essential that the underlying technical infrastructure of the Internet remain stable and secure; Whereas the developing world deserves the benefits that the Internet provides, including access to knowledge, services, commerce, and communication, the accompanying benefits to economic development, education, health care, and social assembly, and the informed discussion that is the bedrock of democratic self-government; Whereas the explosive and hugely beneficial growth of the Internet resulted not from increased government involvement but from the opening of the Internet to commerce and private sector innovation; Whereas the governments of some countries that advocate radical change in the structure of Internet governance censor the information available to their citizens through the Internet, use the Internet to prevent democratization, and use the Internet as a tool of surveillance to curtail legitimate political discussion and dissent, and other countries operate telecommunications systems as state-controlled monopolies or highly regulated and highly taxed entities; Whereas some countries that support transferring Internet governance to an entity affiliated with the United Nations, or to another intergovernmental organization, might seek to have such an entity or organization endorse policies of those countries that block access to information, stifle political dissent, and maintain outmoded communications structures; and Whereas the structure and control of Internet governance has profound implications for democratization, free expression, competition and trade, access to information, privacy, security, and the protection of intellectual property, and the threat of some countries to take unilateral action that would fracture the root zone file would result in a less functional Internet with diminished benefits for all people: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate calls on the President— (1)to continue to oppose any effort to transfer control of the Internet to the United Nations or any other intergovernmental organization; (2)to recognize the need for, and pursue, a continuing and constructive dialogue with the international community on the future of Internet governance; and (3)to advance the values of a free Internet in the broader trade and diplomatic efforts of the United States Government.