ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) is an international
ID: 3879506 • Letter: I
Question
ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) is an international non-profit organization with full control over the Domain Name Service (DNS). Since its inception, ICANN operated under the oversight of the US. This has caused contention between the international members, specifically Russia and China, afraid that the U.S. will manipulate DNS for its benefit ahead of the needs of the international community.
On October 1, 2016, the US ceded oversight of ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) to an international governing body made up of representatives from 160 countries.
Do internet research on this transfer and analyze and explain the transfer, the new oversight committee and how, or if, it will affect how we access the internet.
Explain ICANN and its role in internet architecture.
Examine the points of view surrounding the decision to transfer ICANN control to the international community.
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Explanation / Answer
ICANN plays a unique role in the infrastructure of the Internet. Through its contracts with registries (such as dot-com or dot-info) and registrars (companies that sell domains names to individuals and organisations), ICANN helps define how the domain name system functions and expands.
Registrars
ICANN created the registrar market (together with an accreditation system) in order to introduce greater competition on the Internet. The result has been several hundred companies able to sell domains which itself led to a dramatic reduction in the cost of domains - an 80 percent fall. There is now a diverse and vibrant market in the supply of the Internet’s basic building block.
That accreditation process is currently undergoing reform in order to keep in up-to-date with a rapidly changing domain name market.
Dispute resolution
ICANN helped design and implement a low-cost system for resolving disputes over domain name ownership. The Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) has been used tens of thousands of times to resolve ownership disputes, avoiding the need for costly and complex recourse to the courts.
New top-level domains
ICANN approves the introduction of new "generic top-level domains" to the Internet - a process that expands the online space available. So far, ICANN has introduced 13 new top-level domains to the Internet, ranging from dot-asia to dot-travel, accounting for over six million domains. ICANN has also developed a refined process to introduce further TLDs that is being finalised with applications expected in early 2010.
Internationalized domain names
Through its decision-making processes, ICANN has adopted guidelines for the introduction of internationalised domain names (IDNs), opening the way for domain registrations in hundreds of the world’s languages - something that will expand the use and the influence of the Internet globally to new heights.
The public internet was still in early development in 1998. That year, the U.S. Department of Commerce took over the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). This not-for-profit organization is located in Los Angeles, California.
The U.S. government gave ICANN the authority to oversee domain names for websites and individual IP addresses for internet users. This responsibility included assigning the operators of high-level domains, such as .com and .uk.
The contract between the Department of Commerce and ICANN ended on Saturday. This had been planned for a long time. Now a global internet community -- including governments, businesses, technical experts and members of civil society -- oversees ICANN.
Obama administration support
Supporters of the change, including the administration of President Barack Obama, said it made sense to transfer control of ICANN to an international community. They noted that this community is made up of technical experts who helped build the internet. These experts are still responsible for many of its operations.
Opponents argued the transition was a mistake because it could lead to authoritarian governments getting greater control over the internet. They tried to block the ICANN transfer.
Censorship argument
The move was opposed by Senator Ted Cruz of Texas. Cruz, a Republican Party member, explained his concerns during a hearing last month of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.
“Imagine an internet run like many Middle Eastern countries, that punish what they deem to be blasphemy. Or imagine an internet run like China or Russia, that punish and incarcerate those who engage in political dissent.”
Cruz said not having the government in control of ICANN means the organization is not bound to uphold the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment. The First Amendment covers basic rights including freedom of speech and religion.
“That means when ICANN escapes from government authority, ICANN escapes from having to worry about the First Amendment, having to worry about protecting your rights or my rights.”
Policies governed by consensus
Mueller said not having ICANN under the control of the U.S. government makes the organization more accountable to all people. This is because member governments must all agree to any policy changes.
“So if China says let’s do something crazy, the United States will say, no, we don’t agree – we’re vetoing that. And that will be that.”
Goran Marby is the President and Chief Executive Officer of ICANN. He said the group is a “nonpolitical technical entity” that has “nothing to do with protecting free speech on the Internet.”
A last-minute legal attempt to block the ICANN transition came last week. Four U.S. states filed a lawsuit, arguing the move was an illegal transfer of government property and therefore could not go forward without the approval of Congress.
A judge in Texas rejected the legal argument and refused to stop the transfer.