The UN technology standards competition has set up a proxy war between the US and Russia.

The UN technology standards competition has set up a proxy war between the US and Russia.

U.S. officials have expressed grim concerns about giving China and other rivals a lead in rolling out new technologies like 5G and artificial intelligence, which could have major impacts on economic development and internet access.

This week, several US diplomats, regulators and Biden administration officials are scrambling to find new ground to support their nominee to lead a key UN digital standards division.

The 157-year-old specialized agency that helps monitor how radio waves are distributed globally and how different technologies interact across borders is in the running for the top role of secretary-general of the United Nations’ International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

The election has officially hurt. Doreen Bogdan-MartinWhite House-supported American ITU Patriot Protest Rashid IsmalovFormer Russian government official and Huawei executive. Current and former US officials say what’s online is too big — it’s a battle between competing visions of the future of new technologies and the Internet.

Tom WheelerThe former Democratic chairman of the Federal Communications Commission called the election last month “the most important election you’ve ever heard,” between “an open Internet or a government-controlled Internet like Russia and China.”

The Biden administration appears to share that sense of urgency, deploying a large delegation to the ITU conference starting Monday that will decide the fate of the top role.

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Commerce and Information April McClain-DelaneyA race between Bogdan-Martin and Ismailov “is a very good choice in terms of visibility and clarity,” one of the officials traveling to the summit in Bucharest, Romania, told me.

China has sought to influence global regulatory bodies, including the ITU, over the past decade, raising concerns that the strategy will shape what technologies are used and further erode the Internet’s ties between the West and its rivals.

Sean KellySpokesman of the Republic Cathy McMorris Rogers (R-Wash.), “It’s critical that someone like Doreen Bogdan-Martin represents America,” and “We encourage honest companies to participate and lead in these global standards.” Kelly added: “She will thwart any effort by adversaries like Russia and China to control our technological future.”

Current and former US officials have expressed concern that China and Russia are pushing for the ITU’s work to include broader Internet governance and decentralize decision-making.

“They want to go into these more autocratic countries and have a top-down approach and have more control over the type of Internet and the standards,” McClain-Delaney said.

She added, “I think the other big issue is mission shyness. … We don’t want it to go into Internet regulation or broader regulatory regimes because digital taxes—those issues are really handled in other forums.

Senior U.S. officials argue that Bogdan-Smith is a winner both for greater involvement in decision-making at the agency, which has nearly 200 member states, and for a greater focus on digital equality as a result.

McLain-Delaney argued that under Ismailov, “the vision is that the ITU’s priorities will certainly become less inclusive.” Geoffrey StarkBodgan-Smith, a Democrat who sits on the Federal Communications Commission, said in an interview that he aims to “deliver an inclusive digital future where everyone is connected, everyone has access to the opportunities that the Internet brings.”

Democratic F.C.C Jessica Rosenwersel In a statement, Bogdan-Smith highlighted its “proven track record of driving advanced broadband and modern communications across countries.”

At a news conference last week, Ismailov pushed back on the idea that under him the ITU would have a greater role in issues such as content regulation.

“I don’t think the ITU can or should control that,” he said, according to an official translation. And he pointed out that the effort to expand the Internet regulation reflects the needs of the members.

“Organizations that don’t want to have any regulation, ITU tries to control regulation and Internet governance,” he said. “It’s not like that. The representatives of the countries want to have and agree on an international legal framework for internet regulation.

Ismailov also disputed suggestions that what he is pushing will divide the Internet.

“We want the Internet to remain a unified platform, one place,” he said.

Natalia Abakumova contributed to this report from Moscow.

Iranians are facing internet blackouts.

As national protests and Internet outrage intensify, Iranians are turning to virtual private networks and other methods of getting online, according to Bloomberg News. Patrick Sykes, Thomas Seal, And Arsalan Shahla Report it.

“On Friday, mobile networks were ‘completely shut down,'” according to a report by content delivery network business Cloudflare. Internet usage in Iran is mobile-based, with 85% of web requests coming from mobile devices, the blog added.

In Iran, restrictions on many virtual private networks and major platforms such as Google are hampering efforts to connect to the Internet. In response, the US Treasury Department on Friday issued a directive to expand internet access in Iran despite sanctions on the country, Reuters reported.

House Republicans set sights on Silicon Valley’s midterm agenda.

House Republicans unveiled a midterm agenda Friday that takes direct aim at the tech giants, which they accuse of favoring conservatives and endangering children.

The “Commitment to America” ​​included a pledge to “confront big technology and demand fairness” as a central plank, and criticized tech companies for “crystallizing an ideological echo chamber” and creating addictive apps that have “harmful consequences” for children.

While short on specific policy proposals, the agenda calls for increasing data privacy and security protections and giving parents “more tools to protect their children online,” providing a preview of legislation GOP leaders could pursue if they retake Congress.

Amazon, AT&T could get some big bills with the new lower tax.

A handful of large companies, including e-commerce behemoth Amazon and telecom giant AT&T, could bear most of the financial burden from the 15 percent corporate minimum tax passed into law last month, according to the Wall Street Journal. Richard Rubin And Theo Francis Report it.

According to new estimates from the University of North Carolina, the report says, “Berkshire Hathaway would pay the most in 2021, at $8.3 billion — or about a quarter of the estimated total — followed by Amazon at $2.8 billion and Ford Motor Company.” Co for $1.9 billion. Add the next three companies and that reflects more than half of the $31.8 billion total: AT&T Inc. At $1.5 billion, eBay Inc. at $1.3 billion, and Moderna Inc. For $1.2 billion.

Amazon declined to comment on the figure but said it was awaiting federal guidance. Amazon said the taxes reflect investment and compensation decisions and U.S. laws. (Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns the Washington Post.) “An AT&T spokesman said the company does not expect the minimum tax to affect its 2023 tax bill.

TikTok Seen on the Move to U.S. Security Deal, But Hurdles Remain (New York Times)

California Governor Gavin Newsom Vetos Crypto Bill Could Change Industry (Barron’s)

LinkedIn Conducts Social Experiments on 20 Million Users Over Five Years (New York Times)

TikTok may face $29 million fine for failing to protect children’s privacy in UK (CNBC)

San Francisco police can now view private surveillance cameras in real time (The Verge)

VPN service providers are fleeing India as new data law comes in (wired).

Silicon Valley Returns to ‘Bro’ Culture (New York Times)

How to Be Internet Famous and Anonymous at the Same Time (Wall Street Journal)

• Business Secretary Gina Raimondo And Sameera FaziliThe deputy director of the White House National Economic Council spoke at an event Wednesday at the Brookings Institution’s Hamilton Project on the Technology and Services Sector.
• Chief Information Security Officer of Microsoft Brett Arsenault. He will talk about cloud innovation and security in a Washington Post live event on Wednesday at 9 a.m
• The House Science Committee holds a hearing on artificial intelligence at 10:30 a.m. Thursday.
• representatives Frank Pallon Jr (DN.J.) and Cathy McMorris Rogers (R-Wash.), the top ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, discussed the privacy law in a Washington Post live event Thursday at 11 a.m.
• Raimondo will discuss semiconductor law at an event hosted by the Global Tech Security Commission on Thursday at 11:15 a.m.

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