Nobody was really surprised when the United States walked away from a UN treaty to regulate the Internet last week. When it came time to put the treaty up to a vote on Friday, the U.S. had pulled together a bloc of over 20 other nations, including the United Kingdom and the European Union, to join it in opposing the document. In total, 55 out of 144 countries didn't sign the treaty, leaving it short of the consensus it would need to be effective. Not everyone believed that the World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT-12) would matter. In fact, some called it "pointless." But after the vote, the U.S. made its point to loud and clear



