Contrary to some headlines: The UN is not trying to “take over the Internet.”

But this treaty could fundamentally alter the way traffic flows across the Internet, and may even create new barriers to access. This is because some of the signatory nations have suggested the treaty not be limited to telecommunications traffic but should be expanded to include regulations for Internet traffic.

In this case, the WCIT presents an opportunity for governments to reintroduce old regulations and maybe apply a more centralized nation-based order to the Internet. …

Under a sending-network-pays framework, online education providers like Harvard and MIT would have to pay telecom providers around the world to make their content accessible. In the case of 11-year-old Khadijah, Harvard may have to pay her telecom operator in order to deliver their online courses to Miss Niazi. …

Users in countries whose telecom companies demand these charges will therefore be left behind.