US to relinquish control over
Internet management system
March 14, 2014, 05:58 pm
By Kate Tummarello
The U.S. government on Friday announced
it is taking steps to relinquish control over the back end of the Internet.
The Department of Commerce
announced it is beginning a process to transfer control over the technical
system that operates the Internet’s domain name system, which ensures that Internet users can get to the websites they’re looking for.
Currently, the National
Telecommunications and Information Administration — an agency with Commerce
— oversees that technical system, named the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority
(IANA).
Historically, it has contracted the
operation of IANA out to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Number
(ICANN) on a biennial basis. The current contract is set to expire in September
of 2015.
ICANN — which contains an advisory board
comprised of government representatives — also manages the system for naming
domains, ensuring that each web address is registered to only one person.
“NTIA is asking ICANN to convene global
stakeholders to develop a proposal to transition the current role played by
NTIA,” NTIA Administrator Larry Strickling said during a press call Friday.
Strickling said any proposal “must have
broad community support” and must be based on a multistakeholder approach to
Internet governance.
“It must maintain the openness of the
Internet,” he said. “We will not accept a proposal …with a government led or an
intergovermental solution.”
According to an NTIA official, the U.S. agency
will continue overseeing IANA until the contract expires in 2015. At that
point, the agency hopes to be able to transfer stewardship, the official said.
Some lawmakers and members of the tech
industry have expressed concern that relinquishing control of IANA will open up
the Internet to threats from other governments that seek to censor it.
While the U.S.
can participate in the domain name system through ICANN’s Government Advisory
Council, its oversight role of IANA was the only direct link between the U.S. government
and the critical Internet infrastructure.
Critics of ICANN have said that increased
globalization of the domain name system could decrease the influence of the U.S. as one of
the most vocal proponents of Internet freedom.
Senate Commerce Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) applauded the administration's
move, calling it consistent with a free and open Internet.
"The U.S. has been committed to
transitioning management of the Internet’s domain name system to an independent
entity that reflects the broad diversity of the global Internet
community," Rockefeller said in a statement.
The announcement "is beginning the
process of transferring additional domain name functions to ICANN is the next
phase in this transition" and is "consistent with other efforts the
U.S. and our allies are making to promote a free and open Internet, and to
preserve and advance the current multi-stakeholder model of global Internet
governance," Rockefeller said.
Fadi Chehade, the CEO of ICANN, said during
the call that his organization will bring stakeholders together to discuss a
transition process for IANA during ICANN’s upcoming meeting in Singapore later
this month.
“All stakeholders deserve a voice in the
management and government of this global resource as equal partners,” he said.
“We thank the U.S. government for its
stewardship, for its guidance, over the years, and we thank them today for
trusting the global community to replace their stewardship.”
An NTIA official denied that the agency’s
move was in reaction to revelations about U.S.
government surveillance programs over the last year which have sparked
international criticism of America's
role in Internet governance.
Chehade and Strickling both pointed to the
original plans for IANA.
“The U.S.
government and Internet stakeholders envisioned that the U.S. role in
the IANA functions would be temporary,” Strickling said.
In a statement, Verizon applauded the
Commerce agency's move to relinquish control over the technical system.
"A successful transition in the
stewardship of these important functions to the global multi-stakeholder
community would be a timely and positive step in the evolution of Internet
governance," Craig Silliman, senior vice president of public policy, said.
"Given the importance of the IANA
functions to the stability and correct functioning of the Internet, it will be
essential that a plan that preserves the security, stability, and seamless
nature of the Internet be developed through a comprehensive multi-stakeholder
process prior to the transition.”
Department of Commerce
Penny S.
Pritzker is the secretary at the U.S. Department of
Commerce for the Barack Obama administration, a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, was the
national finance chair, fundraiser for the 2008 Barack Obama
presidential campaign, a co-chair for the 2009 Barack
Obama inaugural committee, a fundraiser, national co-chair for the 2012 Barack Obama presidential campaign, a contributor for
the 2013 Barack Obama inaugural committee,
the host for the Barack Obama fund-raising dinner, 7/2/2008,
and Craig M. Robinson’s basketball coach
for the children's team.
Note: R.
Eden Martin is the president of the Commercial Club of Chicago,
and counsel at Sidley Austin LLP
Michelle
Obama was a lawyer at Sidley Austin LLP,
and is Craig M. Robinson’s sister.
Barack Obama
was an intern at Sidley Austin LLP.
Newton N.
Minow is a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP,
a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and was
the chairman for the Federal Communications
Commission.
Meredith
Attwell Baker was the commissioner for the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC), the acting assistant secretary for
the National Telecommunications and Information
Administration, is married to James A. Baker IV,
and the SVP for the NBCUniversal.
Larry
Irving was the assistant secretary for the National
Telecommunications and Information Administration, and the assistant
secretary for the U.S. Department of
Commerce.
James
A. Baker III was the under secretary for the U.S.
Department of Commerce, is James A. Baker IV’s
father, and an honorary director at the Atlantic Council of the United States
(think tank).
Open
Society Foundations was a funder for the Atlantic
Council of the United States
(think tank).
George Soros
is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations,
and was the Foundation to Promote Open Society.
Foundation
to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Aspen Institute (think tank), the International
Rescue Committee, and the Robin Hood Foundation.
James S.
Crown is a trustee at the Aspen Institute
(think tank), and a member of the Commercial
Club of Chicago.
Lester Crown
is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago,
and was a lifetime trustee at the Aspen
Institute (think tank).
Henrietta
Holsman Fore is a trustee at the Aspen
Institute (think tank), and a co-chair for the Asia Society.
Jay
Rockefeller is a trustee at the Asia Society, and
the chairman for the Senate Committee on
Commerce, Science and Transportation.
Jessica
Rosenworcel was a senior communications counsel for the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation,
and the commissioner for the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC).
Michael
K. Powell is a trustee at the Aspen
Institute (think tank), Colin L. Powell’s
son, the president & CEO for the National Cable &
Telecommunications Association, and was the chairman for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
Lawrence
E. Strickling was the chief of the Common Carrier Bureau for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and is the assistant
secretary for communications at the U.S. Department of
Commerce for the Barack Obama administration.
Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) regulates
U.S.
broadcast outlets.
global
communication is the broadcast, print &
news services & Internet network.
Colin L.
Powell is Michael K. Powell’s father, an honorary
director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank),
and an overseer at the International Rescue
Committee.
Kyle E.
McSlarrow was the president & CEO for the National
Cable & Telecommunications Association, and is the president of NBCUniversal.
Meredith
Attwell Baker is the SVP for the NBCUniversal, married
to James A. Baker IV, was the commissioner
for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC),
and the acting assistant secretary for the National
Telecommunications and Information Administration.
Jeff Zucker
was the president & CEO for NBCUniversal,
is a director at the Robin Hood Foundation,
and the president for CNN Worldwide.
CNN
Worldwide is a division of CNN.
Walter
Isaacson was the chairman & CEO for CNN,
and is the president & CEO for the Aspen
Institute (think tank).
Michael
K. Powell is a trustee at the Aspen
Institute (think tank), Colin L. Powell’s
son, the president & CEO for the National Cable &
Telecommunications Association, and was the chairman for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
James S.
Crown is a trustee at the Aspen Institute
(think tank), and a member of the Commercial
Club of Chicago.
Lester Crown
was a lifetime trustee at the Aspen Institute
(think tank), and is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.
Penny S.
Pritzker is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago,
the secretary at the U.S. Department of
Commerce for the Barack Obama administration, was the
national finance chair, fundraiser for the 2008 Barack Obama
presidential campaign, a co-chair for the 2009 Barack
Obama inaugural committee, a fundraiser, national co-chair for the 2012 Barack Obama presidential campaign, a contributor for
the 2013 Barack Obama inaugural committee,
the host for the Barack Obama fund-raising dinner, 7/2/2008,
and Craig M. Robinson’s basketball coach
for the children's team.
Lawrence
E. Strickling was the chief of the Common Carrier Bureau for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and is the assistant
secretary for communications at the U.S. Department of
Commerce for the Barack Obama administration.
Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) regulates
U.S.
broadcast outlets.
global
communication is the broadcast, print &
news services & Internet network.
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