The European Union insisted Friday that governments and the private sector must share the responsibility of overseeing the Internet, setting the stage for a showdown with the United States on the future of Internet governance.

There is no doubt that controls are necessary but who should take the responsibility…A meeting to be held in November is set to make a decision but Im betting on a stalemate, we await the result.

A senior U.S. official reiterated Thursday that the country wants to remain the Internets ultimate authority, rejecting calls in a United Nations meeting in Geneva for a U.N. body to take over.

EU spokesman Martin Selmayr said a new cooperation model was important because the Internet is a global resource.

The EU … is very firm on this position, he added.

The Geneva talks were the last preparatory meeting before Novembers World Summit on the Information Society in Tunisia.

[ Continue reading at ap.org ]