It’s not everyday that the Peace of Westphalia, which ended the Thirty Years War in mid-17th century Europe, is invoked when it comes to Internet policy.But Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves did just that in a keynote address at a side event as part of the United Nations General Assembly, which is currently underway this week, from 23 September, in New York. President Ilves said that while the Peace of Westphalia-which dictated that countries (mostly) respect each others’ sovereign boundaries-may have historically applied in physical space, this concept no longer applies when it comes to the online world.
http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2013-09/25/un-influence-over-online-spying