Confederation of European Computer User Associations
User Requirements for Internet Governance Agenda
1 Cultural Issues
a. Cultural diversity
i. Individuals and organisations must have the right to use there own language and to be able to use their own character sets in domain names etc. Unicode is an example of a suitable character system which will permit the use of characters of almost any language.
b. Human Rights
i. Individuals (and organisations) must have the right to use their own names when legally entitled to.2 Norms, standards and codes of practice
a. The WHOIS issue
i. The usage of personal Information collected for Registration purposes must conform with the Data Protection Directive
b. Implementation of IPv6
i. CECUA stresses the need for rapid implementation of the new IP address standards to ensure that there are sufficient addresses available for new users (and usages)
c. Rules for punitive action and arbitration
i. The rules for punitive action must be acceptable to law enforcement agencies and be subject to examination and scrutiny by all players, especially users/consumers.
d. System Legacy issues
i. Guarantees must be in place to ensure that old systems are not rendered obsolete until agreement between representatives of all the parties concerned.
e. Terms of Contract with Registrars
i. Terms of Contract with Registrars must be publicly available and protect the interests of consumers and users.3 Legal Issues
a. Human Rights
i. Individuals (and organisations) must have the right to use their own names when legally entitled to. (Same as 1bi above)
b. Legal Harmonisation
i. Legislation across Europe must be harmonised as quickly as possible to facilitate fair trading across Europe, protect consumers rights and ensure an equitable market place.
c. Data Protection and Privacy
i. The provisions of the Data Protection Directive must be strictly enforced on ISPs operating within Europe.
d. Right for redress
i. Consumers, organisations, citizens etc. must have the right for redress against those committing crimes over the Internet.
e. Country Jurisdiction
i. Citizens of Europe should not be subject to US (or any other national law) when carrying out lawful activities within Europe.
f. Accountability of Registrars
i. Registrars must be accountable for their actions and subject to the laws of any country in which they have customers.4 User Representation
a. User representation on ICANN Board and other strategic bodies
i. ICANN and other strategic bodies must be required to have representatives of ALL sections of the Internet Community
ii. ICANN and other strategic bodies must be fully transparent, especially in policy making, administration of their services, and for the implementation of disciplinary procedures against account holders5 Responsibility of Registrars
a. Accountability of Registrars
i. Registrars must be responsible for vetting potential customers to ensure that they are not using the Internet for illegal activities
b. System legacy issues
i. Registrars must ensure that system legacy issues are dealt with in accordance with policy publicly announced by the Registry
c. Liabilities of Registrars
i. See 3f above6 Other Issues
a. Usability
i. Policies need to established, in conjunction with the relevant authorities, to lay down the criteria for the skill levels to use the Internet to prevent social exclusion of Citizens
b. Affordability
i. Steps must be taken to ensure that policies are established to ensure that customers are not excluded on the basis of culture, geography and skill level
c. Accessibility
i. Policies must be established to establish the Internet as a Universal Service
