The Bush administration announced on Thursday that the US government will not hand over control of the Internet to any other organisation, a surprise move that could presage an international flap.
At the moment, the US government maintains control of the Internet's "root" — the master file that lists what top-level domains are authorised — but has indicated in the past that it would transfer that responsibility to ICANN.
The new principles, outlined by Assistant Commerce Secretary Michael Gallagher, say the US government will "maintain its historic role in authorising changes or modifications to the authoritative root zone file". In addition, the principles say, the US government will continue to maintain "oversight" over ICANN and prevent its "focus" from straying from technical coordination.
Gallagher's blunt announcement to a wireless conference in Washington DC — just a few days before ICANN's next meeting in Luxembourg — hints that the Bush administration would like to keep the Marina del Ray, California-based non-profit group on a short leash. ICANN has become the target of criticism as its budget has zoomed upward from $7m in 2003 to around $16m today.
Thursday's announcement also represents an effective snub to a United Nations process that is set to culminate in a summit in Tunisia in November. One gripe of the summit participants has been poorer nations should have more say in the way the Internet is operated.
At one level, the Bush administration's announcement is largely symbolic: while in theory the United States can influence what country codes are permitted and who will run each, it's unlikely to make any procedural changes. But the more assertive tack promises to vex nations like Pakistan and Brazil that have been critics of the United States' influence online.
About five years ago, the Commerce Department told the European Commission that "these remaining powers retained by the United States Department of Commerce regarding ICANN should be effectively divested," according to a British government report.
Talkback
OWNERSHIP OF INTERNET
The Internet is a “joint venture” owned by the netizens at large whether they belong to US, UK or anywhere else. It is true that originally the Internet was invented by the US and US people paid for its existence by paying taxes for the same, but they have already derived enough benefit out of it. It is high time that Internet should be “decentralised” and access to it should be provided to all the nations of the world in an equitable and judicious manner. The same, however, cannot happen unless and until the issues of its “ownership” is decided conclusively at the “International level”. The same should, however, in no case be pressed further through the mechanism of UN. That is a remedy worst than the malady. The proper solution is to make it a part of WTO, etc and formulate an “International Treaty” named “Internet Treaty” and let the nations at large decide about its proper utilisation and ownership. It must be appreciated that Internet is an indispensable mode of communication in the contemporary society and it is the “electronic environment” of the planet named earth. If we can resolve the “environmental matters” of the earth by International Treaties and Convention, we can do the same vis-à-vis the “electronic environment”. The parameters of Internet will be extended to “Space” as well in the distant future and the Inter-Planetary Internet System may again face the same problem. We need a “futuristic aspect” of the current problem and that mandates an amicable solution of the internet ownership problem as soon as possible.
If the rest of the world doesnt like it then they should build there own internet and they can control it. otherwise shut your mouth. its not broke so there is no need to fix it.