US to cede Internet Root DNS servers to ICANN
Ready for the next big step in the Internet's evolution?
On Friday, the US government announced it would be relinquishing control of root DNS servers to ICANN in September 2015. ICANN is a private corporation under the US Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The US government had always planned to transfer control, but had long insisted it would not let stewardship of root DNS go to a government-led or inter-government organization.
So here we go: the clock is ticking, and the decision is already being politicized, as stakeholders of all stripes are beginning to take sides. The decision has strong supporters (foreign governments, telcos, and some big American companies including Google), and strong opponents (Libertarians, some technical experts, etc.).
Is this a bold new chapter? Or an impending disaster? Or both?
On Friday, the US government announced it would be relinquishing control of root DNS servers to ICANN in September 2015. ICANN is a private corporation under the US Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The US government had always planned to transfer control, but had long insisted it would not let stewardship of root DNS go to a government-led or inter-government organization.
So here we go: the clock is ticking, and the decision is already being politicized, as stakeholders of all stripes are beginning to take sides. The decision has strong supporters (foreign governments, telcos, and some big American companies including Google), and strong opponents (Libertarians, some technical experts, etc.).
Is this a bold new chapter? Or an impending disaster? Or both?