Landmines, War Crimes and Mouse
Clicks:
America, Europe and the Global
Electronic Economy
Jeffrey Pryce
Steptoe & Johnson LLP
CRIA/IPEF Conference on Internet & Power
Cambridge University
11 May 2000
1. Multilateral Political/Security
Fora After Cold War
• Distribution of Power
– Cold War:
– Post CW:
East-West-South
West (West) (South)
• International Security & Humanitarian
Issues
– Multilateral action more possible
– Politically more important.
Political Dynamic
• Humanitarian, NGO, Western-dominated
• Initiatives by West, aimed at problems
primarily in South.
– Landmines
– Intl Criminal Court
– Small Arms
Landmines
• US approach
– Humanitarian demining, smart APLs
– Protect Korea DMZ, mixed anti-tank munitions
• Ottawa/Oslo approach:
– Comprehensive, Global Ban
– Definitions exempt Euro A/T munitions
International Criminal Court
• Euro/NGO Approach
– Sweeping theoretical jurisdiction
– Symbol valuable, possibilities for abuse
discounted
• U.S.
– Strong Objection to Jurisdictional anomalies
– Assertions of Jurisdiction taken seriously
Small Arms
• German approach:
– Comprehensive Definitional Scheme
– Ban on military arms to non-State actors
• U.S. approach
– Analysis of specific problems, greatest harms
– Focus on most promising concrete solutions
– Reject blanket NSA ban on moral grounds
General Approaches to Global
Humanitarian/Security Initiatives
• European/NGO approach:
– comprehensive;
– norm-creating;
– symbols valuable
• U.S. Approach
– focused on specific problems;
– pragmatic;
– realist
2. Information Economy
• A. International Significance
• B. Regulatory Approaches
A. Intensifying nature of
interaction in borderless space.
• International Transactions
B2B
B2C
C2C
Electronic Content Issues
• Privacy
• Personal Information.
• Piracy
• Metallica MP3s.
• Pornography.
• Child Pornography.
• Subversion, Hate Speech.
• Mein Kampf
• Blasphemy.
• Satanic Verses.
International Issues – Jurisdiction
• To Prescribe
• To Adjudicate
• To Enforce
B. Regulatory Initiatives
• Digital Signatures
• Data Privacy
Digital Signatures
• Possible Technical Solutions
– PKI
– Non-PKI
• Approaches
– Continental
• Prescriptive, Presumptions
– Common-law
• Technology-neutral, enabling
Data Privacy
• European approach:
– Protection by government
– Comprehensive, State-Centered
• U.S. Approach:
– Protection from government
– Self-regulation
• Privacy Policies, Enforceable as Deceptive Trade
Practices
– Sector-specific Legislation
EU Directive & Safe Harbor
• Threat of Data Cutoff to U.S.
• Menu of “Adequate” Protections
–
–
–
–
Regulated Industry
Industry self-Regulation
Self-Regulation (Privacy Policy)
Contractual Undertakings
• Enforcement:
– FTC, under Section 5 of FTCA
– Commit to cooperate with panel of EU data protection
authorities
Napster and MP3s
• DMCA Copyright Act
– Liability-based
– Notice and takedown
– Private enforcement of rights in courts.
Significance of Internet for
International Power
• Unlikely to reverse broad distribution of
power
– U.S., then Europe, most influential
– Likely to increase power/well-being of West
more in absolute terms
• Most influential powers likely to drive the
information economy toward open,
decentralized, anti-Statist model.
– Opportunities for all States; decrease in power
of governments.
– Increased efficiency, access to information
Lessons:
• West-West dynamic.
– Consensus on basic values.
– Difference in legal approaches.
• Increasing need for harmonization between
models.
– Privacy Safe Harbor one approach.
• Key issue: Implementation and
Enforcement.
• Flexibility for technological innovation.
Further Information
www.steptoe.com
JPryce@steptoe.com