US, UK reject agreement on new ITU treaty

An agreement to update the International Telecommunications Regulations has been reached in Dubai, despite a refusal from major countries such as the US and UK to sign the new treaty. The new pact includes measures that would give countries a right to access international telecommunications services and the ability to block spam, which delegations that declined to sign the amended text argued would pave the way for government censorship and control over the web, Bloomberg reports. 

Only 89 of 151 countries present signed. Canada, Denmark, Australia, Norway, Costa Rica, Serbia and others followed the US in refusing to sign on these grounds. The UN treaty is not binding for the countries that don't sign. 

Throughout the treaty negotiations, the US led opposition to efforts by countries including Russia, China and several Middle Eastern nations to include internet regulation in the treaty. The US said more consultation with the private sector was needed, a position also adopted by industry players such as Google, which said the ITU was the wrong venue to discuss internet regulation. 

Other new articles in the ITR treaty that were passed address changes in the way operators should be taxed and compensated for traffic exchange and provisions on access to communications for people with disabilities and in less developed markets.