In a recent meeting, the EU’s European Economic and Social Committee expressed concern about America’s dominant influence on the Internet. Thomas McDonogh, a member of the committee, stated, “A possible threat to internet security is that so many internet services are controlled from the States.”

According to McDonogh, most of the Internet’s infrastructure, including financial services and cloud-computing, is controlled by US private industry and the government. Many Europeans would like to see an Internet with greater world collaboration, especially considering that the technology has no borders.

Continue reading: EU critical of American influence on Internet

Senator Joe Lieberman has introduced a bill to Congress that if enacted, would give the American government broad powers to direct Internet policy and seize control of critical infrastructure during emergencies.

Called the Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act (PCNAA), this legislation could effectively give the government control over the Internet. This is because much of the Internet’s root core and many of its administrative bodies, including ICANN, are located in the United States.

All governments should take cyber security seriously, but I think Lieberman is going a bit far with this bill. I highly doubt the government could even effectively manage something as large and complex as the Internet by itself. How would it go about taking control in the first place? My guess is this bill won’t make it very far.

Source | The Register

Continue reading: Bill could give United States right to seize Internet

The Digital Economy Bill, currently in Parliament, could have major implications on the domain industry. It contains a broad clause that, if approved, will give the government the right to nationalize any failing domain registry based in the UK.

Some domainers are crying foul over this, but in my opinion, this legislation is a good safety net for domain owners. In the event a registry fails, would you rather lose your domain investments or have the government take over the extension so you can keep them? Think about it like government-insured bank deposits.

Hopefully the bill will also force registries to operate more ethically. As politicians gain more awareness about web issues, expect them to get more involved in Internet governance.

Photo | Flickr

Continue reading: UK could obtain right to nationalize domain registries

The fourth-annual meeting of the Internet Governance Forum in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt has just concluded. Hot topics discussed at the international event include IPv6 adoption and America’s role in Internet affairs

To spur IPv6 adoption, ICANN CEO Rod Beckstrom proposed a “cash for clunkers” program through which old IPv4 hardware could be turned in for credit towards new IPv6-compatible equipment. Such a program would be especially beneficial to poor and undeveloped countries.

Finally, a number of delegates expressed concern that the United States still has too much control over the Internet. Though ICANN is now technically independent from government control with the new Affirmation of Commitments, this apparently isn’t enough for the rest of world. Technology leaders cited issues with the organization’s accountability and called for more participation from the developing world.

Photo | SilviaSS

Continue reading: Internet Governance Forum concludes in Egypt

I read a great opinion piece by blogger Eileen Yu this morning about the Affirmation of Commitments (AOC) and ICANN. She argues that while the AOC has diversified Internet leadership, it does nothing to hold ICANN accountable.

Total investment in the web today is many times what is what in 1998 when the agency was founded. More people have Internet connections then ever. One would think that given ICANN’s increased responsibilities, it would be held more accountable. Instead, it has been turned loose.

I personally do not trust ICANN to act in the best interest of netizens. Time and time again it has shown its partiality towards corporate interests, and its inability to keep order. We need a government framework for the web that isn’t so biased.

Photo | Flickr

Continue reading: Should ICANN be held more accountable?

With the expiration of the JPA today, a new framework for the oversight of ICANN has been announced. The new model puts less emphasis on U.S. government involvement and relies more on input from foreign governments and the private sector.

Called the Affirmation of Commitments, this new agreement lasts indefinitely. It calls for so-called “expert panels” to ensure ICANN is doing its job in regards to network security and stability, TLDs, IDNs, and ccTLDs, and the WHOIS database.

There will also be an accountability panel that ensures the organization remains ethical and transparent. This board is required to have a U.S. government representative.

Critics of American dominance over ICANN like Viviane Reding should be pleased with the new change. What impact, if any, the new oversight model has on the agency remains to be seen.

Source | Domain Name News

Photo | mproe

Continue reading: New ICANN oversight model announced

The Noncommercial Users Constituency (NCUC) sent an open letter to ICANN this week, criticizing the organization for its failure to pay attention to non-commercial Internet users like you and I. It was sent in response to the recent approval of a new charter by ICANN that favors commercial groups and discourages input from the general public.

According to NCUC Chair Robin Gross:

ICANN’s decision has resulted in significant damage to ICANN’s credibility within global civil society and has fueled further distrust towards ICANN’s decision making process. Its treatment of noncommercial users in this instance has significantly called into question ICANN’s legitimacy to govern and its ability to protect the global public interest.

Continue reading: Open letter to ICANN demands recognition of non-commercial users

In a letter sent out on August 4, two Democratic congressmen called for a permanent relationship between the United States government and ICANN. Since the event made news yesterday, more details about the situation have emerged.

The letter published by the congressmen calls for the following to occur at ICANN:

Any further involvement of the United States in ICANN will more than likely cause an international uproar, and there is the possibility that it could refuse to cooperate with the government. Either way, I think ICANN hasn’t been as transparent and responsible as it could have been over the years and someone needs to clamp down on it. What the two politicians are calling for isn’t too unreasonable.

Considering the JPA expires on September 30, we should hear about any formal steps by the government to take hold of ICANN soon.

Source | DN Journal
Photo | Flickr

Continue reading: More updates on call for U.S.-ICANN relationship

With less than two months of ICANN’s Joint Project Agreement with the United States Department of Commence remaining, two key House members are calling for permanent government involvement in the organization.

House Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman, D.-Calif., and Communications Subcommittee Chairman Rick Boucher, D-Va., made a statement regarding their views today:

Rather than replacing the JPA with additional JPAs or Memoranda of Understandings that expire every few years, we believe the time has come for a permanent instrument to which ICANN and the Department of Commerce are co-signatories. This statement of commitments and principles would ensure that ICANN remains perpetually accountable to the public and to all of its global stakeholders.

ICANN has previously declared that it neither wants government involvement nor a renewal of the JPA. The California organization has never really experienced any government oversight before, and it is unclear how the U.S. government could push itself into ICANN.

Personally, I think government involvement in ICANN is a good thing. Every other industry is regulated. Why the Internet has not already been made privy to federal oversight I do not know.

Source | eWeek

Continue reading: Congressmen call for permanent ICANN relationship

Just a few months after being appointed, the director of the National Cyber Security Center, or cyber czar, has resigned.

Melissa Hathaway was given the position temporarily pending further review, but now wishes to move on to other things. The post hasn’t fared well since it was created by President Obama shortly after taking office. The government has had trouble determining just what role the organization should play in cyber government, and many of its duties overlap with other agencies.

The first National Cyber Security Center director, our one and only Rod Beckstrom, also resigned after a short tenure in office. He cited budget problems and a lack of cooperation from other agencies as the main reasons for his departure.

As of right now, there is no replacement for Hathaway. A number of officials have turned down job offers for the post. As Tom Kellermann, a former cyber security expert at the World Bank, put it: “the system has become paralyzed.”

Source | WSJ

Continue reading: Cyber czar resigns

Forget about problems like cybersquatting, unethical registrar practices, and the blatant commercialization of domains ICANN has allowed to go on for years. Oh no, everything is fine at the California organization. In a recent statement, new CEO Rod Beckstrom eased all doubts:

There will always be different voices out there, but the ultimate proof that ICANN is functioning properly is that the Internet is functioning properly.

Really, Mr. Beckstrom? Really? I think ICANN’s new leader needs to learn more about his audience. Domainers are smart people who know their trade well. They understand the web, its history, and many are also adept server admins and programmers. Who does Beckstrom think he is speaking to, primary school children?

The CEO may have just started, but he needs to learn that a little fast talk isn’t enough to quell the worries of the domaining world. Many notables, including Congress and the EU, have criticized the organization’s performance and structure. And their attacks have been fair and certainly well overdue.

Continue reading: Beckstrom: "ICANN is functioning properly [because] the Internet is functioning properly"