US To Retain Control Over ICANN

Feb 24, 2007

US To Retain Control Over ICANN

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), a California-based non-profit company, manages the Internet’s domain-name addressing system. It reports to the U.S. Commerce Department, which last September said it would retain oversight for three more years.

Opposition to this have been seen every now and then over the Internet community from new and developing countries (Brazil, Cuba, Iran to name a few). There has been suggestions for internationally accountable body to take over the role of overseeing the Internet. And who else except a UN governed body could be the better solution. International Telecommunications Union (ITU), a UN agency, has been the contender.

A solution is hardly in clear sight, with US being the most powerfull when it comes to Internet and technology. Hamadoun Toure, the new head of ITU, has no plans in regulating and governing the Internet.

“It is not my intention to take over the governance of Internet. I don’t think it is in the mandate of ITU and as secretary-general I will continue to contribute to the debate over Internet governance and continue to provide technical support,” said Toure, an electrical engineer from Mali.

“I will be focusing on cyber-security …,” he added.

Among Toure’s other priorities are standards for broadband Internet access and for 3G phone accessibility.As of now the passing of power to more global body seems to be dream yet, for those arguing. There are countries like Australia which support the US control (…as they do with every thing related to US), but on the other hand Iran actually once expressed fear that US could block Internet access in the country whenever it wanted to.

Source: Reuters

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