Post Tagged with: "icann"

UN Internet Takeover Rumours Mask Bigger Governance Shortcomings

In recent months the Internet has been buzzing about the prospect of a United Nations “takeover” of the Internet, including responsibility for governance of the domain name system. The concern hit a fever pitch late last month when the U.S. Congress held hearings on the issue. A steady stream of technology companies and consumer groups expressed fears with potential U.N. and foreign government involvement and members of Congress pledged to take a strong stand against the takeover.

While a U.N. takeover would indeed be cause for serious concern, my weekly technology law column (Toronto Star version, homepage version) notes the reality is far more complex and somewhat less ominous. This issue has been festering for over 15 years and is less about whether there will be efforts at governmental control and more about which government controls.

June 13, 2012 — 4 comments — Columns

UN Internet Takeover Rumours Mask Bigger Governance Shortcomings

Appeared in the Toronto Star on June 10, 2012 as UN Internet Takeover Rumours Mask Bigger Governance Shortcomings In recent months the Internet has been buzzing about the prospect of a United Nations “takeover” of the Internet, including responsibility for governance of the domain name system. The concern hit a […]

June 12, 2012 — Comments are Disabled — Columns Archive

ICANN Votes To Expand Generic Top-Level Domains

ICANN has voted to massively increase the number of generic top-level domains with hundreds of new extensions on the horizon. New gTLD applications will be accepted starting next January.

June 20, 2011 — Comments are Disabled — News

Internet Governance Battle Heats Up as Governments Demand Greater Powers

A simmering battle over governance of the Internet is set to take centre stage in California this week as the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), a California-based non-profit corporation charged with the principal responsibility for maintaining the Internet’s domain name system, holds one of its regular meetings in Silicon Valley.

My weekly technology law column (Toronto Star version, homepage version) notes that since its creation in 1998, ICANN has faced a wide range of critics – Internet users frustrated at the lack of accountability, business groups concerned that the policy making process is too slow and uncertain, and governments wondering why matters related to the Internet are vested in a private organization and not an entity such as the United Nations.

March 14, 2011 — 7 comments — Columns

Internet Governance Battle Heats Up as Governments Demand Greater Powers

Appeared in the Toronto Star on March 13, 2011 as Governments’ ominous thirst to control the web A simmering battle over governance of the Internet is set to take centre stage in California this week as the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), a California-based non-profit corporation charged […]

March 14, 2011 — Comments are Disabled — Columns Archive