Internet Governance

The Openness Alibi: How the RIR System Closed the Door on Its Own Legitimacy

Lu Heng argues that increasingly restrictive election and participation rules across the five Regional Internet Registries undermine the legitimacy of their governance model, proposing decentralized number coordination as an alternative to centralized institutional authority.

From Policy to Practice: Project Jake as a Collaborative Laboratory for Domain Registration Data

Project Jake offers an open-source framework for testing domain registration data disclosure, helping stakeholders evaluate authentication, standardized requests and registrar workflows while preserving privacy protections and informing ICANN's future policy decisions.

The Cyber Pandemic Is Here: Negligence, Not AI, Is the Real Threat

Cyberattacks on supermarkets, utilities and cryptocurrency platforms reveal how unclear responsibilities and institutional failures can expose critical systems, raising questions about accountability across cybersecurity, supply chains and Internet governance.

More Than 80% of AfriNIC Addresses Detected Outside Africa Linked to a Single Company

New measurements link Cloud Innovation to 81% of AfriNIC IPv4 addresses detected outside Africa, raising questions about regional allocation policies, contractual obligations and the evidence needed to establish compliance.

AFRINIC, Member Rights and Executive Interference

AFRINIC's effort to remove Cloud Innovation from its company register has intensified a dispute over court orders, membership rights, executive authority, and the accountability of Internet number registry administrators.

Forced Representation: RIPE NCC, “Chinese Disinformation,” and the Fiction of an Inclusive Community

Following a disputed exchange at a RIPE NCC General Meeting, Lu Heng argues that nationality-based dismissal of criticism undermines inclusive participation and raises questions about the legitimacy of community-derived institutional authority.

The February Case That Could End Africa’s Internet Registry

Cloud Innovation's petition to dissolve AFRINIC returns to Mauritius's Supreme Court in 2027, raising questions about the registry's governance, contested membership rights, legal costs and continuity of Internet address services across Africa.

Registrars Must Offer DNSSEC, but Fewer Than One in Ten Use It Themselves

A study of 698 ICANN-accredited registrar domains finds just 9.46% have DNSSEC enabled, with European registrars leading adoption. Regional differences remain significant after accounting for registrar size, raising questions about security practices.

Africa Youth IGF: Political Leaders Must Listen, Not Just Speak

Youth Internet governance forums across Africa risk prioritizing political speeches over meaningful dialogue. Stronger accountability, direct engagement and sustained participation could help young people influence the digital policies shaping their future.

Internet Society Seeks Nominations for 2027 Board of Trustees

The Internet Society is accepting nominations for four Board of Trustees seats in 2027, with selections by its Chapters, Organization Members and IETF. Nominations are open to nonmembers and close on December 11, 2026.