Losing the Net

By Douglas V. Gibbs
Author, Speaker, Instructor, Radio Host

From the private sector, to the U.S. Government, to the worldwide list of internationalists.  That is what is happening to the internet.  The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is where the website names and URLs are held.  It was once held by private corporate hands, until it was taken away by the United States government.  Now, it is being released for global ownership, with the U.S. remaining as a stakeholder too just to make sure the control of the online ecosystem isn't held by any single governmental body that may play monopoly or tyranny with it.

U.S. oversight over ICANN "irritated" some governments.  They feared the U.S. would be tyrannical with it, so the many bodies out there have been lobbying for greater control of the Internet.

The motivation behind the transition is to "preserve a free and open Internet," we are being told.

That was the excuse of Net Neutrality, as well.

In other words, they are trying to keep it out of the private industry's hands because the wealthy corporations might abuse their power to make money.  Which means, until regulatory control by governmental powers is relinquished, we are likely going to have to say goodbye to innovation in the system.

Sole control over the net by the U.S. also raises concerns that other countries may create their own little regional domains, fragmenting the net, and that would hurt the globalistic nature of the beast.

The experts say the shift in control will not effect how the internet functions, or how users interact online.  The move will simply change the technical supervision of the online address system to ICANN itself, with a system of checks and balances so no single entity can exert control over the Internet.

Checks and balances are a good thing.

Bureaucrat's hands in the cookie jar is a bad thing.

Officials say American government supervision is symbolic and dates back to the creation of the Internet. ICANN officials maintain the new governance model will instill confidence around the world in the Internet's independence.  If things go according to plan, the contract between ICANN and the U.S. government will be allowed to naturally expire on September 30.

The changeover won't even be noticed.

And now, nobody will be in charge of it, sort of.  Maybe.  Yeah, that's what we are told.

What could go wrong?

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary

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