ICANN Warns US Not To Undermine Multistakeholder Model

By Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has issued a new statement about a future contract with the United States for root zone management and other internet infrastructure functions, warning against undermining the multistakeholder model for governing core internet infrastructures.

ICANN statement here [pdf].

The US National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) recently added provisions to a new draft contract with the separate Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), obliging the contractor to demonstrate “explicit consensus support” for a new top-level domain (TLD) before it could be added to the root by IANA.

Some see this action by the US government as a reaction to the inclusion of the controversial .xxx to the root zone. ICANN now warned that “the IANA functions contract should not be used to rewrite the policy and implementation process adopted through the bottom-up decision-making process“.

The new consensus check as precondition for being added to the root might be an additional hurdle for new TLDs for which ICANN recently decided to open applications next year.

ICANN, a non-profit self-regulatory organisation that has been operating IANA and core policy functions for the domain name system, also commented on other terms for the future IANA contract.

In September, the US administration and the EU Commission will hold a consultation in Brussels on the future of the IANA and potential reform issues for ICANN after both administrations criticised ICANN for not fully implementing government advice in recent decisions.

Comments to NTIA’s ongoing further notice of inquiry on IANA can still be submitted until 29 July.

Federal Register notice here.

This page has been translated into Spanish language by Maria Ramos  from Webhostinghub.com.