China, Russia seek greater control of Internet, US says

GENEVA (REUTERS) - China and Russia are buying increasingly powerful surveillance technologies to intercept communications and try to take control of the Internet, a senior United States (US) official said on Thursday.

Mr Alec Ross, the US secretary of state's senior adviser for innovation, said new players such as Thailand and Ukraine would determine the future shape of the Internet by deciding whether to open up globally or operate more closed national "Intranets".

His comments further demonstrate the lack of agreement over how the Internet will be regulated after an attempt to establish a global governance policy collapsed last year.

"Many Middle Eastern countries, Russia, China and others I believe, are going to take an increasingly aggressive stand to try to control the Internet," Mr Ross told a news briefing.