A U.N. review in December could shift Internet governance from multi-stakeholder to state control. Here's what's at stake.
Twenty years ago in Tunis, at the World Summit on the Information Society , delegates from all over the worldthe key characteristics of the Internet’s governance model. Long story short, the choice was between a multilateral model, in which States play the main role and take all the key decisions about the technical parameters and principles, and a multi-stakeholder model , where civil society, government and the private sector together decide the rules of the game.
: a lengthy review process which is currently underway and will culminate in a resolution to be voted on by the United Nations in December.), it’s much clearer how much the way the Internet is governed, even just on the technical level, can have a geopolitical impact. Some countries - mostly, but not only, authoritarian ones - such as Russia or China, advocate for a shift to the multilateral model., require States to have stricter control on the digital infrastructure and standards. Critics say this is just an excuse to allow them to have even more control on their population. A bunch of nations in the so called Global South, also complain that the multi-stakeholder model, as it is now configured, does not fully address their needs. The WSIS+20 review therefore represents a crucial milestone for the future of the internet, yet there’s not much public awareness about it. “In 2005 there was this crucial moment when the governance of the internet was to be decided and businesses, states, civil society all came together to formulate the principles we have today. Since then, 20 years onwards, we have had this multi stakeholder platform that has been phenomenally successful for value creation, and I worry that we have started taking this for granted,” Kurtis Lindqvist, CEO of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers tells me when we meet at Lisbon’s Web Summit.To connect with someone on the Internet, every device needs a unique address: the organization’s role is to coordinate and maintain this global system of unique digital identifiers, making sure every online address is distinct, and the Internet runs smoothly worldwide. ICANN is also in charge of the Domain Name System, which allows online users to type a text-based domain name instead of the relatedWhat this all means, in practice, is that ICANN is one of the key enablers of how the Internet is currently structured. "Anyone can innovate, anyone can build on the standards we have. You and I could create a new Facebook tomorrow if we wanted to, because there’s no one we have to ask for permission," Lindqvist says. You just pick a name, buy a domain, and that’s it. This might sound like a no-brainer, but that’s not necessarily the case. "In other industries, the namespace might be much more constricted. Phone numbers, for instance, are controlled. You and I cannot go and pick a phone number," he adds. If the WSIS+20 review shifts governance principle, the consequences most likely wouldn’t be immediate or dramatic, but over time the permissionless innovation system that we have right now could gradually give way to a very different Internet. "Applications might behave differently in different countries, domain names also might be different, accessibility might not be the same, and we’d start seeing fragmentation." In contrast to this, ICANN believes we should go in the opposite direction, making the Internet even more inclusive, an approach exemplified by initiatives such as enabling domain names and email addresses in non-Latin scripts. "Being able to use domain names or email addresses in your own language or script, that's very important," says Lindqvist, whose native Swedish uses non-Latin characters. "This is very much also for the global south, for that next billion coming online who don't have English as their first language.", which contemplates the introduction of domain names in other alphabets and languages, includes an applicant support program offering financial assistance and guidance to nonprofits and applicants from underrepresented regions. Early signs are encouraging—the current round has already attracted 78 applications, compared to just three in the previous round in 2012." had just been published, representing the views and suggestions expressed by stakeholders and Member States throughout the consultative process held to date. From now on, the negotiations will continue behind closed doors, although the co-facilitators have committed to transparency within the constraints of UN General Assembly procedures. They will publish drafts, though the full negotiating positions of all countries won’t be visible. "It is an interesting six weeks ahead, but we keep fingers crossed," Lindqvist says. "I think we are on a good track for a good future."
WSIS+20 Multi-Stakeholder Model ICANN
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