Corruption in Internet Governance - Bribery, Cronyism and Nepotism

Abstract

Corruption has been identified as a significant issue in telecommunications, seen in bribery and nepotism over many years, raising questions as to whether there are comparable problems with the Internet. Complex systems of Internet governance have excluded the issue, failing to put in place any of the established mechanisms to pre-empt, identify and reduce potential problems. There has been no discussion of corruption in the meetings, except its use to reduce corruption elsewhere. Few MSH organisations are registered or publish accounts, being loose, open and shifting alliances, sometimes being interlinked in ways that conceal patterns of influence. The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) has met in countries that are very corrupt, not least in their telecommunication sectors. This reduces the costs of participation but invites ethical problems. It is essential for discussion to be opened on corruption in general and the introduction of anti-corruption practices, in order to ensure compliance with national laws. The costs of corruption in Internet access need to be identified.