Why Who Maintains the Internet Matters

Here’s a little something to think about while the UN makes the case for greater international control of the internet this week. From the Financial Times (via Drudge)…

Beijing has halted plans to allow foreign newspapers to print in China because of concerns raised by recent “colour revolutions” against authoritarian governments in Georgia, Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan, according to a senior media regulator.

Shi Zongyuan, head of the General Administration of Press and Publication, said the role of the international media in such popular revolts had prompted the suspension of what had been an cautious, but significant easing of China’s curbs on foreign news publications.

“The ‘colour revolutions’ were a reminder not to let saboteurs into the house and that the door must be closed, so we have closed it temporarily,” Mr Shi said in an interview with the FT.

If the government of China considers mainstream media newspapers to be saboteurs, what do they consider blogs to be? And what would they do to them if they had a share of control of the internet?