The Department of Commerce is set to hand off the final vestiges
of American control over the Internet to international authorities in
less than two months, officials have confirmed.
The department will finalize the transition effective Oct. 1, Assistant Secretary Lawrence Strickling wrote on Tuesday, barring what he called "any significant impediment."
The move means the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, which is responsible for interpreting numerical addresses on the Web to a readable language, will move from U.S. control to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, a multistakeholder body based in Los Angeles that includes countries such as China and Russia.
Critics of the move, most prominently Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, have pointed out the agency could be used by totalitarian governments to shut down the Web around the globe, either in whole or in part.
In the event any facilities are relocated to China, senators noted, they could go in the same building as the agency responsible for censoring that country's Internet. "We have uncovered that ICANN's Beijing office is actually located within the same building as the Cyberspace Administration of China, which is the central agency within the Chinese government's censorship regime," they wrote, noting that some of the American companies involved with the transition process have already "shown a willingness to acquiesce" to Chinese demands to aid with censorship.
"While this is certainly not illegal, it does raise significant concerns as to the increased influence that governments … as well as the culture of cronyism," they added.
While those issues could, in theory, lead to a legal challenge being filed in the days following the transfer, the administration has expressed a desire to finish it before the president leaves office, a position that Strickling reiterated.
Source: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/america-to-hand-off-internet-in-under-two-months/article/2599521
The department will finalize the transition effective Oct. 1, Assistant Secretary Lawrence Strickling wrote on Tuesday, barring what he called "any significant impediment."
The move means the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, which is responsible for interpreting numerical addresses on the Web to a readable language, will move from U.S. control to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, a multistakeholder body based in Los Angeles that includes countries such as China and Russia.
Critics of the move, most prominently Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, have pointed out the agency could be used by totalitarian governments to shut down the Web around the globe, either in whole or in part.
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"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," Cruz wrote in a letter sent to
Commerce and signed by two fellow Republicans, Sen. James Lankford of
Oklahoma and Sen. Mike Lee of Utah.In the event any facilities are relocated to China, senators noted, they could go in the same building as the agency responsible for censoring that country's Internet. "We have uncovered that ICANN's Beijing office is actually located within the same building as the Cyberspace Administration of China, which is the central agency within the Chinese government's censorship regime," they wrote, noting that some of the American companies involved with the transition process have already "shown a willingness to acquiesce" to Chinese demands to aid with censorship.
"While this is certainly not illegal, it does raise significant concerns as to the increased influence that governments … as well as the culture of cronyism," they added.
Related Story: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/article/2592875
Opponents similarly made the case that Congress has passed
legislation to prohibit the federal government from using tax dollars to
allow the transition, and pointed out that the feds are
constitutionally prohibited from transferring federal property without
approval from Congress. A coalition of 25 advocacy groups including
Americans for Tax Reform, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, and
Heritage Action sent a letter
to Congress making those points last week. A fourth, Americans for
Limited Government, joined that letter and issued a separate statement
calling for Congress to sue in the event the transfer moves forward.While those issues could, in theory, lead to a legal challenge being filed in the days following the transfer, the administration has expressed a desire to finish it before the president leaves office, a position that Strickling reiterated.
Related Story: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/article/2594645
"This multistakeholder model is the key reason why the Internet
has grown and thrived as a dynamic platform for innovation, economic
growth and free expression," Strickling wrote. "We appreciate the hard
work and dedication of all the stakeholders involved in this effort and
look forward to their continuing engagement."Source: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/america-to-hand-off-internet-in-under-two-months/article/2599521