The United Nations and a broad coalition of its totalitarian-minded member governments are increasingly demanding that a global regulatory regime be imposed over the Internet, with supposed concerns about “terrorism” becoming just the most recent argument advanced to support the controversial scheme. In a massive report released this week, the UN claimed a planetary agreement on surveillance, data retention, and more would be needed for “terror” purposes.

Of course, the latest round of UN scheming drew swift criticism from Internet-freedom advocates. But as the effort by governments to seize control over the World Wide Web gains traction, activists from across the political spectrum argue that the Internet should remain free and unregulated in the hands of citizens and the private sector — certainly not under the purview of a scandal-plagued international organization composed largely of dictatorial regimes.

Unveiled at a recent conference in Vienna, the 148-page UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report, entitled The Use of the Internet for Terrorist Purposes, presents a broad wish list of powers that self-styled international “authorities” believe are needed. It was prepared in collaboration with the UN “Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force,” which includes the World Bank, Interpol, the World Health Organization, and the International Monetary Fund as members.

However, the dubious document quickly sparked global concerns. Among the most alarming claims in the report, according to critics, is that "one of the major problems confronting all law enforcement agencies is the lack of an internationally agreed framework for retention of data held by [Internet Service Providers]."

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