IANA Transition Will Guard Against 'Capture' of Internet Governance, ICANN Chairman Says
ICANN's Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) transition plan “guards against 'capture' by any one group or government" of Internet governance, said ICANN Chairman Stephen Crocker in a Wall Street Journal op-ed Tuesday. “This is the primary reason the Internet community…
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-- along with businesses, civil society and other interest groups -- has given its blessing to the changes.” ICANN sent NTIA its IANA transition plan and a set of recommended changes to ICANN’s accountability mechanisms in March (see 1603100070). Amazon and 10 other tech firms and industry groups jointly backed the IANA transition plans in a letter to Congress (see 1604190048). “These groups understand the vital role of the Internet in strengthening the global economy by creating jobs and economic growth,” Crocker said. “Almost $8 trillion of commerce takes place on the Internet annually, an example of how dependent the world economy has become on a single, unified network.” If the U.S. doesn't allow the IANA transition to proceed, “then other governments may try to move control to organizations like the United Nations,” Crocker said. “There is also a risk that some governments may form their own national or regional networks. This disruptive splintering would damage the economy and weaken personal Internet use.” There was criticism of the IANA transition plan in a Monday commentary in The Hill, in which Tech Knowledge Director Fred Campbell said the FCC had a “hidden” agenda to promote the transition via its decision to forbear from asserting authority over IP addresses under Section 251(e) of the Telecom Act. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said in his response to questions from GOP presidential hopeful Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, that the commission forbore from asserting authority over IP addresses under Section 251(e) because of ICANN’s administration of the IANA functions (see 1604080058). Though Wheeler’s response is “revealing,” he “didn’t explain why the FCC believes ICANN can be trusted to uphold the public interest requirements in section 201 of the Communications Act,” Campbell wrote. “How could he? Once the U.S. relinquishes its authority, ICANN will not have to answer to the FCC and will have no responsibility to uphold the public interest or any other requirement of U.S. law.” The FCC didn't comment.