Ever wonder who regulates the Internet? It can be complicated. In the 1990s, the U.S. government found itself under control, but in 1998, privatized some control to a group called ICANN (The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). Basically, they assigned domains like .com, .org, .edu. and .gov. However, for years, ICANN and other groups have been complaining on too much gov’t control.
?ICANN has been agitating for greater independence from the U.S. government for many, many, many years, basically since it was founded,? says an Internet law professor named A. Michael?Froomkin said. Earlier this month, there was a meeting in Montevideo, Uruguay.?In that meeting, ICANN and several other groups called for?a break in U.S. government dominance.? They also called for more online globalization and a more equal playing field. Back in 2009, a truce called “The Affirmation of Commitment” was made between ICANN and the U.S. ICANN got more independence, but the US government could still take over the root server in event of an emergency. Though the NSA scandals weren’t mentioned in Uruguay, it was an undercurrent theme. Many?nations and organizations are unhappy and want to make sure this kind of surveillance doesn’t get out of control.
So once again, this all goes back to the NSA. Nobody even had to say it. These recent scandals really are the gifts that keep on giving. I’m sure, in the?back of their minds, their thinking about their own countries’ surveillance too. But?since we know?now what we didn’t know then,?will negotiations be so smooth this time?