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Title: It Is Happening: US to Hand Over Control of the Internet as of October 1
Source: [None]
URL Source: http://sputniknews.com/science/2016 ... 4378083/us-icann-handover.html
Published: Aug 19, 2016
Author: staff
Post Date: 2016-08-19 05:59:09 by Tatarewicz
Keywords: None
Views: 33

Sputnik... The United States will fulfill a years-old promise to privatize the governance of the World Wide Web in October.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) was established in 1988 to coordinate domain names across the globe. A nonprofit organization, ICANN is overseen by the US Department of Commerce. Twitter page in browser window © Sputnik/ Alexandr Kryazhev Russia, China Challenge Western-Style Internet

Naturally, a number of countries and privacy advocates have expressed concern that a global entity as vital as the internet is under the control of the US, and the Obama Administration promised to cede control over ICANN.

Until recently, Washington had failed to make good on this promise. But on Tuesday, Assistant Secretary Lawrence Strickling confirmed that the process will be finalized in roughly two months.

"On Friday, ICANN informed NTIA [National Telecommunications & Information Administration] that is has completed or will complete all the necessary tasks called for in the transition proposal by the end of the contract term," he wrote in a post on the department’s website. Bitcoin © Photo: Pixabay Money of XXI Century for Dummies: All You Need to Know About Cryptocurrencies

"NTIA has thoroughly reviewed the report. We informed ICANN today that based on that review and barring any significant impediment, NTIA intends to allow the [Internet Assigned Numbers Authority] functions contract to expire as of October 1."

The transition was originally slated to occur September 2015, but was delayed.

"It has become increasingly apparent over the last few months that the community needs time to complete its work, have the plan reviewed by the US government, and then implement it if it is approved," Strickling wrote at the time.

A number of countries have expressed support for the transition, as well as ICANN head Fadi Chehade.

"I feel the proposal will lead us to a global, independent, neutral, well-governed organization," he said last year. "I’m never comfortable, but I am optimistic and I believe that all interests are now aligned…Everybody sees that this makes sense." Работа за компьютером. Клавиатура © Sputnik/ Ruslan Krivobok Homeland Security: New Cybersecurity Bill to 'Sweep Away' Internet Privacy

Despite international support, many US politicians have fought against the plan.

"The proposal will significantly increase the power of foreign governments over the internet, expand ICANN’s historical core mission by creating a gateway to content regulation, and embolden [its] leadership to act without any real accountability," Texas Senator Ted Cruz wrote in a letter to the Department of Commerce, according to the Washington Examiner.

For the time being, it seems saner heads have prevailed.

"We appreciate the hard work and dedication of all the stakeholders involved in this effort," Strickling wrote, "and look forward to their continuing engagement." ...


Poster Comment:

seanrkearney This may or may not be as benevolent as it sounds? Lots of questions needs to be answered for the global citizenry of Internet users:

(1) Who gains control? (2) What are their plans for the Internet? (3) Who who backs them? (4) How are they funded? (5) What form of oversight is in place?

professor.hornblow... The ICANN system is only the www bit of the internet, which allows access to web pages via its addressing system. The so called dark web, which is a separate construction, operates independently (much to the annoyance of the US) and currently can be accessed only through this ICANN system. So, perhaps we can devise similar alternative internets. All you need is a private radio or wire connection that links to a hub which, in turn, links to other hubs. Local addressing can be developed so that the bigger internet can be accessed securely. more comments ar link...

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