CONGRESS MUST ACT TO PROTECT ONLINE FREEDOM
By Robert Romano || On March 14, the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) issued a press release stating its intent to “transition key Internet domain name functions to the global multistakeholder community” from its current contractor, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).
The plan is to “transition the current role played by NTIA in the coordination of the Internet’s domain name system (DNS)” to “global stakeholders.” We would add, without any vote in Congress, but we’ll get to that in a moment. This is a big deal.
Administering the DNS is the key function that associates easy-to-remember domain names to numerical Internet Protocol (IP) addresses — the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) — an essential component to making the Internet work.
It is the critical choke point in terms of directing Internet traffic in a meaningful, authoritative manner. And, the U.S., which has administered this system at various levels for 45 years, is simply giving it away. Apparently, for nothing.
A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report from 2000 is highly informative on this topic. It states that DNS started at the Department of Defense in 1969 as ARPANET before being superseded by the National Science Foundation as NSFNET in 1990. In 1992, the Foundation was authorized by Congress to allow commercial activity on the Internet, enabling it to enter into a contract shortly thereafter with Network Solutions to sell domain names on a for-profit basis.
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Robert Romano is the Senior Editor of Americans for Limited Government.
28 comments
Be it the economy, immigration, national security…I DO NOT TRUST Obama. He is a failure and a disaster.
Let’s freeze ALL decisions on any and EVERY policy, until he can be rendered powerless….
As it is: I’m just praying we can get a majority in the Senate, in Nov, clean up the House and simple-vote (Thanks Harry) to undo ALL the mess Obama has made.
Please, you can’t even spell ICANN, let alone tell us shit about them.
I don’t need to know how to spell the word E-C-O-N-O-M-Y to know that your lord-god, Obama has F*#ked it up…
That said: I guess you can say Obama has at least given us a new word for FAILURE….O-B-A-M-A….Now spell that @$$-Hole….
This whole article is miles above your head, but it’s fun messing with you, which is pretty much the only reason I reply to you. :)
Unless you’re stupid (like You) it does not take a PHd to know corruption when you’ve been exposed to it so blatantly for 5-plus years…
That’s PhD, Dumbass.
What the F*#K are you talking about, you paranoid Kook-Job? That’s what I have posted…you blithering idiot.
Everybody that first read it knows what you did…
Lol! Remember, Tango…the Lord hates a lying ass bitch….
No, you obviously do not understand the Gospel. The Lord loves you even if you and Obama are liars (‘You can keep your coverage and it will cost less’)…, He just wants you to repent for your sins…I will pray for you…
Conspiracy much??…LMAO…
What time do the Black Helicopters circle your crib???…And was 9-11 an inside job???…do tell…Hahahaha…
Another view of it, since ALG’s Romano is an idiot with Obama Derangement Syndrome:
http://www.npr.org/2014/03/19/291475122/u-s-pulls-out-of-icann-what-does-that-spell-for-internet-users
For extra fun, read the comments on the NetRightDaily article Will posted. Prepare your brain cells for blunt trauma due to facepalm.
When Obamacare is part of your track record…you look like a f*#king Dumb@$$ questioning someone else’s intelligence….
Well a majority of voting Americans gave Obama another four years, and clearly handed Republicans losses in Congress back in 2012. Are you questioning the intelligence of a majority of Americans?
That doesn’t sound very patriotic to me, T. Bald eagle tears, man. Bald eagle tears.
Obama and the media lied and cheated to get him elected. Remember the false pledges about Obamacare???. Remember the voter fraud in the Swing States of OH and PH.???
Now that the lies have been discovered…Obama has Tanked…but it’s too late. He has effectively scored a coup.
So we must do all we can to reverse it. And We will. That is THE AMERICAN WAY….
Grandtango, at least have the COURAGE to post with your real name. Regarding Obama, he won the re-election, move on !
Was there any part of the analysis you disagreed with? If the IANA functions and DNS control are taken out from under the U.S. government, a critical check — the First Amendment protections of free speech — go away. The issue has to do who administers these functions, and what protections on the freedom of expression exist. Right now, it’s the First Amendment and federal courts, which can intervene if these authorities were ever abused by ICANN, a government contractor. If those authorities are transferred completely to a private foundation like ICANN, or to an international body such as ITU or 1net.org or whatever, those protections will cease. Did you even read the story over on NRD, entitled, “Giving away the Internet surrenders the First Amendment” at http://netrightdaily.com/2014/03/giving-away-internet-surrenders-first-amendment/ or did you just read the headline here and respond?
Fairly good article below with info presented by someone from the Wall Street Journal.
http://www.npr.org/2014/03/19/291475122/u-s-pulls-out-of-icann-what-does-that-spell-for-internet-users
We could end up with the equivalent of the United Nations managing the Internet phone directory.
This is confusing. Americans for Limited Government should favor transferring this business to the private sector, no?
Private sector, maybe, ok. The UN never ever under any circumstances. The UN should be kicked out of the USA and dismantled piece by piece. That would happen on it’s own if the US quit funding all the third world dictators that call themselves members.
Actually under the enumerated powers of the Constitution the internet should be kept under the federal govt. to insure the first amendment rights are upheld. Hadn’t really considered it but that would help insure first amendment rights where even a private co. could control some of the content. As powerful a medium as the internet is , it shouldn’t be trusted to anyone, but the fed. gov. is the responsible party.
Only, this is not a transfer to the private sector. It’s a transfer to the global Internet community, or “global multistakeholders” as the Commerce Department states. If IANA functions are transferred to an international body, the First Amendment protections will not apply. We would note, if they were transferred to a private sector entity, they would not apply, either. Which those outcomes must be considered in making any transfer. That is, comparing the current system of federal control, fulfilling its constitutional interstate commerce regulatory function, and First Amendment protections that affords versus whatever alternative Commerce and ICANN come up with, which will not afford the same protections of freedom of expression.
A couple of you need to get a room, or at least a life.
Wait, someone from “Americans for Limited Government” wants the American government to control the Internet?
Hahahahaha …
In the piece, I quote groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) that in 1998 criticized the transfer of DNS to a private foundation like ICANN. “Internet administration has always guaranteed free speech and due process, since it has been done by U.S. Government contractors who are required to follow the U.S. Constitution. If the New IANA moves Internet administration out from under the U.S. Government, as there is general agreement to do, the public will lose these guarantees,” Shari Steele, Staff Counsel at EFF warned at the time.
Private communications companies and foundations and international agencies are not legally obliged to protect First Amendment rights. Only the federal government is. As the Department of Commerce has actively stated its intention to transition IANA governance to some new, as of yet unnamed international body, we believe these First Amendment concerns are perfectly valid.
And, the U.S., which has administered this system at various levels for 45 years, is simply giving it away. Apparently, for nothing.
Maybe we should trade it for Panama.
Americans for Limited Government – the whole damn group – is exactly what is wrong with this country!
Turkey’s PM has already been reported as determined to destroy twitter. This could enable such destruction. What’s next?