The United Nations has proposed to internationalize the internet, taking control from the U.S. Department of Commerce, to ensure that the internet is accessible to all users worldwide.
Clyde Ensslin, a spokesman for the Department of Commerce, said the issue regarding governance and monitoring of the internet is an old topic that has been debated and discussed for years.
“You could trace [this issue] back to the ’90s, and it is becoming more public right now since we are on the eve of a global summit,” Ensslin said. “In November, the issue will be addressed. However, we intend to maintain our historic role based on principle. That is what we want to do.”
U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) recently put forth a resolution intended to ensure that internet governance is kept out of the hands of the United Nations. Luke Friedrich, a spokesman for Coleman, cited recent findings of corruption within the U.N. as well as countries that lack freedom of information as reasons for not wanting to relinquish control to the U.N.
“The senator feels that transferring control to the U.N., in light of the corruption and everything we have uncovered within the U.N. … it would not be in anyone’s best interest,” Friedrich said. “If you do this, it is going to leave the U.S. with no more say of control than countries like Cuba and China — countries that aren’t committed to free flow of information and free speech.”
These issues, along with other internet problems, will be addressed at the second phase of the World Summit on the Information Society, hosted by the Government of Tunisia in Tunis from Nov. 16 to 18. Governments and other stakeholders are expected to discuss issues such as managing internet resources, network security and cyber-crime, according to the U.N.’s website.
In 1998, the Commerce Department appointed the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, a nonprofit private organization with international board members who monitor domain lists. Though the Department of Commerce maintains veto power over ICANN, it indicated that it would give up this power if ICANN meets a number of conditions.
“The Memorandum of Understanding with ICANN has been extended, but it is due to expire in September of 2006,” Ensslin said. “They are working to meet the list of requirements that are contained in the [Memorandum of Understanding], though they are working on them. As to what will happen in September 2006, I won’t predict,” Ensslin said.
Ensslin said he preferred not to address the possibility of the U.N. acquiring control of managing the internet, citing the prospect as a theoretical possibility, not a reality. He added that the possible alternatives regarding internet governance have been outlined but are still only provisional.
“The Working Group on Internet Governance published a report of internet governance and they have established a separate working group from the delegates to this summit. They go through a lot of issues and offer a number of possible alternatives,” Ennslin said.
Coleman has previously told the press that he would support efforts to make the organization independent of any government control, although the Department of Commerce still has the final say in internet governance.
“It would depend on the circumstances,” Friedrich said. “[Coleman] has expressed that he wouldn’t mind seeing the organization being completely independent. He would like to be a part of working out details and specifics of how it was laid out.”
According to a media advisory on the U.N.’s International Telecommunication Union’s website, the purpose of the summit is to bring political, business and civil society leaders together to address “ways of providing better access to developing countries to the internet and other information and communication technologies.”
According to the International Telecommunication Union, the 942 million people living in the world’s developed economies enjoy nine times better access to internet services than the 85 percent of the world’s population living in lower-income countries.
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