Europe took a further step to fence cyberspace this week when
communications commissionerVivane Reding calledforIcannto become a
private corporation subject to a "G12 for internet governance" to
oversee internet governance policy and security issues from
October.
This follows reviews of the current self-regulatory model of the
internet in the US and UK. The reviews were prompted by the expiry
of the US Department of Commerce's agreement with the Internet
Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers on 30 September.
In 1998 the Department of Commerce agreed to let Icann, a
private not-for profit corporation established in California,
manage the net's addressing system.
The UK followed this model with the establishment of
Nominet, also a private
not for profit members' association, to manage the .uk domain name
registry. But the Department for Business, Enterprise and
Regulatory Reform (BERR) has questioned the future viability of the
model.
In response Nominet chairman Bob Gilbert argued strongly for the
continuance of the self-regulatory model. "It is crucial that key
infrastructure is managed as closely as possible to the technical
and user community, allowing rapid response to threats and quick
decisions on investments and innovation," he told BERR.
Reding said Icann had to be accountable and made more
democratic. "In the long run, it is not defendable that the
government department of only one country has oversight of an
internet function which is used by hundreds of millions of people
all over the world," she said.
Reding outlined a new model of internet governance after 30
September. She said it should include a fully privatised,
independent, financially transparent and judicially reviewed Icann,
and an informal multilateral "G-12 for Internet Governance" forum
where governments can discuss general internet governance policy
issues and can make, by majority, recommendations to Icann.
This group would provide swift reaction to threats to the
stability, security and openness of the internet, she said.
It would include two representatives from each North America,
South America, Europe and Africa, three representatives from Asia
and Australia, as well as the chairman of Icann as a non-voting
member. Competent international organisations with competencies
could have observer status, she said.