U.S. ready to give up control over key internet functions: This time it’s real
Government ready to relinquish control over IANA contract.
In 2009 the U.S Government agreed to the “Affirmation of Commitments” with ICANN to set if free from U.S. control.
The press ate it up, assuming that it meant the U.S. had given up control of the internet.
It hadn’t.
The key contract that the U.S. government controls for the internet’s naming system is actually the Internet Assigned Number Authority (IANA) contract, which includes managing the root zone. That contract is awarded by the U.S.’ National Telecommunications and Information Administration to ICANN.
Signing the Affirmation of Commitments gave the U.S. government a way to say it was relinquishing control of the internet without actually doing it. It bought it time.
Now it appears the government is serious. It disclosed today that it’s ready to wash its hands of this key contract for managing the root zone.
ICANN’s fresh CEO Fadi Chehade has been pushing for more separation from the U.S. government following the Edward Snowden revelations. He has gotten his wish, but a high stakes game of poker is regarding to ensue. Chehade will have to tread carefully and skillfully in the coming 18 months, the unofficial deadline for coming up with an alternative to the existing contract.
The U.S. government stated it won’t accept a model in which another government-led group controls these notable functions. This is key, and it has been my primary concern regarding the power vacuum that would take place if the U.S. government bowed out.
It seems that the U.S. will have a role in deciding how the IANA functions are carried out going forward even if it’s not handing out the contract itself. It will effectively control how the hand-off occurs, even if it’s behind the scenes. The idea is the ICANN will continue to handle the IANA functions, it just won’t be the result of a government contract.
I wonder if 18 months will be enough time to figure out what is a key ingredient to the internet as we know it.
