Home End of the US government control of ICANN: Towards the privatisation of internet control agencies

GEAB 108

The monthly bulletin of LEAP (European Laboratory of Political Anticipation) - 15 Oct 2016

End of the US government control of ICANN: Towards the privatisation of internet control agencies

Both in the United States and around the world, this news has been making some noise: since October the 1st, the internet is finally “free from US tutelage.” Is it, indeed? It is true that a decisive step has just been reached, since the ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), a central internet entity, as we shall see, is no longer directly controlled by the US. The Obama administration (with some relative unpreparedness, by the way) has finally accepted the international emancipation of ICANN. Should this be the fundamental brick in building a multipolar world, or some additional technocratisation of digital freedom? In this respect, it is interesting to compare the reactions of the media from both sides of the Atlantic: on the US side, Obama is accused of abandoning the internet to the hands of dictatorships[1], whilst on the European side, the media almost unanimously hails the change (“ICANN finally sets free from the US[2]“; “The US has finally released the Internet![3]“)… To a certain extent, this change might look like a small revolution, one of the many symptoms of the US’ loss of influence and the transformation of the world into a multipolar one. This change can even be seen as a trial run for the US handover of power across all areas. Is this finally good news? Well, it all depends on who will take over that power…

You can not comment on this article
Contents

The United States has been voluntarily isolating itself from the rest of the world, and not just from a geopolitical point of view. This terrible isolation can only get worse, [...]

Political anticipation does not work using crystal balls. "Future data" represents the raw material for its analyses: elections, summits, and various meetings are elements which allow us to cast light [...]

When members of the UN Security Council wage war at each other... It is clear that in a supposedly common struggle against a common enemy - the Islamic State - [...]

In short, the answer is, not much. But let’s elaborate! As our team noted in the September issue, Brexit unleashed a large potential to reorganise Europe with, as it happens [...]

It is time to get rid of Western Sovereign Bonds  Following the previous article on the topic of US Treasuries, it seems clear to our team that it is best [...]

Related articles
GEAB
15 Mar 2024

2030 – Artificial Intelligence in the service of Peace

#AI #governance #PEACE #war #world

While two hot controversial conflicts, Ukraine/Russia and Israel/Gaza, are setting the world ablaze on our doorstep, the primary actors involved are unwilling to engage in peace negotiations unless their adversary [...]

GEAB
15 Mar 2024

UN 2024: Reform the Security Council or let it die

#europe #geopolitics #governance #UN #world

More than 30,000 civilians have been killed in the ongoing Israeli attack on Gaza, yet every ceasefire resolution at the UN Security Council continues to be blocked by US veto, [...]

GEAB
15 Mar 2024

2025: A Fragmented Europe implodes under the pressure of War

#defence #europe #geopolitics #governance #Ukraine

Impossible relaunch of the European defence industry, political and social confrontations, strategic disagreements, diplomatic differences... "Until now, Europe has been built out of crises". This has been a historically verifiable [...]