<nettime> Business Group Sets Internet Proposals

["nettime's_roving_reporter" <nettime-l@bbs.thing.net>]

Business Group Sets Internet Proposals

By Neal Boudette, European Telecommunications
Correspondent


PARIS (Reuters) - An industry group backed by some of
the world's heaviest hitting executives will unveil a
set of proposals on regulating the Internet Monday, all
in the hope of making it easier to do business in
cyberspace.

The initiatives, providing guidelines for security,
privacy, consumer protection, taxation, liability and
other issues, will be presented at a meeting in Paris
of the Global Business Dialog on Electronic Commerce
(GBDe).

They are intended to help governments and international
trade organizations iron out differences in laws and
regulations that can crimp the explosion of electronic
commerce.

But even the combined weight of companies such as
America Online Inc, DaimlerChrysler AG, IBM Corp, Time
Warner Inc and Toshiba Corp are unlikely to have much
impact, analysts said.

While the United States, Europe, and Asia will continue
to clash, even the thorniest issues are not really
hindering the Internet revolution. Regulation or not,
e-commerce will keep on expanding, the analysts said.

``I don't believe the absence of regulation has
seriously impeded e-commerce,'' said Ken Fraser at
market researcher International Data Corp. ``There are
things that make it a bit bumpy, but the road is
open.''

Millions of consumers are not holding back because, for
example, Europe has not decided how to tax online
purchases, or because the U.S. restricts exports of
powerful encryption technology, other analysts said.

``I don't think consumers are waiting for concrete
legislation,'' said Caroline Sceats at Fletcher
Research in London. ``These (e-commerce business)
models are going to carry on developing regardless of
whether there are regulations in place.''

Forecasts on e-commerce give no hint of stumbling
blocks. According to Forrester Research,  online
business trade in the U.S. alone is set to soar to $1.3
trillion in 2003, from $43 billion in 1998.

Nevertheless, the Paris meeting will highlight issues
that major corporations around the world are anxious to
clear up -- without turning them over to government and
political bodies.

``We are committing ourselves to creating a
self-regulatory framework as well as proposals for
politicians,'' said Markus Payer, a spokesman for
German media giant Bertelsmann, whose chief executive
is chairman of the GBDe.

Formed in January, the GBDe includes more than 100
companies from all corners of the globe. Along with
Bertelsmann's Thomas Middelhoff, Time Warner Chief
Executive Gerald Levin and Fujitsu Ltd's Michio Naruto
also serve as co-chairman, providing representation at
the top from Europe, the U.S. and Japan.

Walt Disney Co, Deutsche Bank, Nokia Oyj, and Japan's
NEC Corp and NTT are also among the group's members.

The proposals will deal with at least eight areas where
laws vary from country to country, and can hinder
online commerce.

Yet no matter how well thought out, the GBDe
initiatives still have to contend with significant and
often politically sensitive disagreements.

For example, many countries want powerful encryption
technology to be widely available for protecting data
on the Internet. But the U.S. bans export of the latest
software. It wants law enforcement authorities to have
a key to decode data used in drug dealing or money
laundering.

At the same time, Europe wants greater measures to
protect personal information on the Internet, while the
U.S. so far has allowed the industry to set its own
guidelines.
	
Even the GBDe recognizes the enormity of the task it is
taking on. ``It won't be final and finished Monday,''
said Payer, the Bertelsmann spokesman. ``The effort
will go on.''


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