By Daily Mail Reporter PUBLISHED: 07:32 EST, 10 December 2012 | UPDATED: 09:13 EST, 10 December 2012 An unexpected new proposal put forward by Arab states to create sweeping governmental powers to regulate the Internet today raised fears of an expansion of online censorship. The plan, co-signed by Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, Algeria and the United Arab Emirates, caused deep divisions when it was revealed over the weekend at a global conference which is attempting to re-write a longstanding treaty on web regulation. A leaked draft of the Russia-led proposals would block some Internet locations and wrest control of allotting web addresses from a U.S.-based body.
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Russia, Saudi Arabia and UAE among countries which signed have controversial new plan
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Want to create multinational pact to allow countries to stop access to sites at eachother's request
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Includes measures that could allow authoritarian regimes to suppress opponents, critics warn
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Has led to deep divisions at 193-country conference which is trying to re-write treaty on web regulation
'Much of the @placeholder was developed from U.S. research funding, and the U.S. has kept a residual role, so many other governments say it's not right that one government 'controls' the Internet,' said Kummer.