China proposes a change to the internet for new age-tech, raises privacy concerns: Report

China has proposed a new architecture to optimise the web for emerging technologies such as IoTs and autonomous cars. The proposal, however, has raised concerns.

Huawei said it has already built in the new infrastructure and will start testing in 2021, according to the report. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

China has reportedly proposed a big change to how the internet functions to the UN's International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The change is aimed to enable the new age technologies such as autonomous cars. The proposed architecture, however, has raised some concerns.

According to Financial Times, Huawei, China Union and China Teleocm, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology have come up with a new proposal that envisions a new core technology dubbed as the "New IP."

Huawei said it has already built in the new infrastructure and will start testing in 2021, according to the report. The company in its proposal said that the current architecture is "unstable" to handle the newer tech demands by 2030. Huawei pointed out Internet of Things, holo-lens teleportation and self-driving cars as the emerging technologies.

"…due to historical reasons, the current network is designed for only two kinds of devices: telephones and computers…. the development of IoT and the industrial internet will introduce more types of devices into the future network. In fact, the process has already begun. The connections and relationships in the network system will extremely complex. However, the current design, especially in performance and structure, will struggle to meet the future requirements," the proposal is quoted as saying.

The proposal also warned of the current networks system becoming "islands". "More and more unilateral and temporary technologies are being deployed," it added.

As said earlier, the proposal has already raised some concerns. Oxford Information Labs, a cyber security firm, told FT that the new IP will lead to "fine-grained controls in the foundations of the network." The proposed change could "lead to more centralised, top-down control of the internet and potentially even its users, with implications on security and human rights."

According to FT, Huawei in its proposal to the UN said that the architecture will feature a "shut up command" which could enable a central point to disconnect a particular source.