White House seeks counsel on ISP industry code

The United States hosted representatives from Australia’s internet industry at the White House earlier this month to discuss the potential to introduce a voluntary code of conduct among American internet service providers.

Peter Coroneos, the departing chief executive of Australia’s Internet Industry Association, said he was hosted by United States cyber security chief Howard Schmidt on May 6 specifically to discuss the initiative.

Schmidt was appointed at the White House in December 2009, charged with developing a national strategy to find a way to give every U.S. citizen a “trusted identity” on the internet as a means of addressing cyber security threats.

Schmidt had previously expressed interest in the IIA scheme.

Under the iCode, Australia’s ISPs volunteer to notify users on their network found to be using compromised computers (i.e. part of a botnet), and report such users to Government-operated CERT Australia.

Coroneos has claimed that the industry-led scheme has staved off threats from the Australian Government to legislate and more closely regulate Australia’s internet industry.

He told iTnews that Schmidt expressed interest in the icode model, and noted that US ISP ComCast had unilaterally implemented a similar measure in the United States.

Coroneos said his vision was for other US ISPs to consider ComCast’s effort and form an “industry-wide” voluntary code.

The Executive Office of the President of the United States has been contacted for comment.