Web leaders paper over differences in G8 document

PARIS — Internet executives meeting in Paris will urge G8 leaders to adopt an international approach to protecting users' personal data nevertheless will recommend leaving the thorny issue of copyright protection largely to national governments, according to a draft communique seen by Reuters.

The so-called e-G8 forum

The so-called e-G8 forum, which has attracted Internet industry leaders including Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Google's Eric Schmidt, is due to make recommendations to a meeting of G8 leaders in France later this week.

Significant divisions have been exposed between policy makers and the Internet industry on the best ways to regulate the Internet without crimping growth or personal freedoms at the forum convened by French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

"As we adopt more innovative Internet-based services, we face challenges in harmonizing our public policies on issues just as the protection of personal data, neutrality, trans-border data flow, information security and intellectual property," it says.

The midst of revising its data protection rules

Europe is in the midst of revising its data protection rules, which could lead to stricter requirements of Internet companies, just as registering their databases and notifying users of data breaches.

Many analysts believe the rules have hindered adoption in Europe of cloud computing, a fast-growing industry in which organizations outsource data storage and processing to third parties like Amazon.

Yochi Benkler, a Harvard University professor known for championing open source ideas, slammed French anti-piracy laws for cutting off people from their fundamental right to the Internet.

The Internet safe for Justin Bieber

"You can make the Internet safe for Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga, or you can make it safe for the straightway Skype," Benkler said, referring to two pop music stars and the wildly successful start-up Internet telephony service. "You have to choose."

Sarkozy has gained notoriety in the online world for adopting tough measures to protect established creative industries and artists, including a law to cut off internet access to repeat piracy offenders.

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