Internet Governance

Developing Fully Informed, Generally Acceptable Procedures for Online Access to Medicines

Earlier this year, The Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies (ASOP) released findings from their 2021 survey on American Perceptions and Use of Online Pharmacies. According to ASOP's data, U.S. residents' use of online pharmacies to purchase prescription medications continues to increase yearly. In 2021, 42% of Americans purchased medications from online pharmacies, either for themselves or family members under their care. This is a significant increase of 7% since just last year.  more

Help Shape the Future of the Internet

This year, the Internet Society celebrates its 25th anniversary. Our own history is inextricably tied to the history of the Internet. We were founded in 1992 by Internet pioneers who believed that "a society would emerge from the idea that is the Internet" -- and they were right. As part of the celebration, this September we will launch a comprehensive report that details the key forces that could impact the future of the Internet. The report will also offer recommendations for the Future and we need your input. more

Keys to Successful Collaboration and Solving Wicked Internet Problems

The incredible pace of change of the Internet -- from research laboratory inception to global telecommunication necessity -- is due to the continuing pursuit, development and deployment of technology and practices adopted to make the Internet better. This has required continuous attention to a wide variety of problems ranging from "simple" to so-called "wicked problems". Problems in the latter category have been addressed through collaboration. This post outlines key characteristics of successful collaboration activities. more

Vint Cerf’s Comments on the ISOC Sale of PIR and the .ORG Registry

Vint Cerf has posted comments in support of the pending sale of PIR and the .org registry to Ethos Capital. Vint's Comments . Vint is a respected member of the Internet community, and his comments need close attention and careful assessment. Some of his comments have been discussed here earlier. Other comments, posted here and elsewhere, have either supported the sale or raised questions. more

Three Layers of China’s International Strategy on Cyberspace

China's newly released International Strategy on Cyberspace is marked by three distinctive layers with different degree of priority: (1) sovereignty (or cybersecurity, or UN Charter), (2) globalization (or digital economy, or WTO rules), and (3) fundamental freedoms (or human rights, or UDHR). The good point of the strategy is that it tries to make the three layers peacefully co-exist in one document. The failure, however, lies in the intentional ranking of relevance/importance of the three layers... more

Internet Shutdowns On The Rise Worldwide, Says Report

From the Middle East to South Asia to Africa, shutdowns are becoming a norm of authoritarianism -- an accepted means of silencing criticism, stifling dissent, and controlling the population. Governments are increasingly using digital tools to surveil, censor, and manipulate information, as well as amplify their own propaganda. more

ICANN Paris: Seeking Comments from Internet Users in North America

Ahead of next week's ICANN meeting in Paris, I would like to consult users, At-Large Structures (ALSs) and others involved in internet governance in North America. As one of the three regional representatives on the ICANN At-Large Advisory committee, I want to make sure individuals, users and ALS's are given the chance to summit their own questions, suggestions and items to the agenda of the upcoming meeting. I'd be happy to receive your comments, and/or schedule a chat with you Mon-Thur, from 13:00-18:00 EDT. Leave a comment to this post, or leave me a message. more

US Congress Re-Launches Treaty Talks on Internet Economy

Final echoes of the US Senate committee's questions of Facebook this week will only fade in the UN Security Council where, in a few years, Member States will adopt a treaty on regulation of the Internet Economy. By opening wide the door to questions on privacy, revenue, security and purpose, Congress showed its well-placed concern and signaled that others can too. more

Twitter Files Lawsuit Against U.S. Government Over National Security Data

Twitter has filed a lawsuit in U.S. federal court seeking to publish its full Transparency Report. In a blog post released this afternoon, Twitter's vice president, Ben Lee writes: "Our ability to speak has been restricted by laws that prohibit and even criminalize a service provider..." more

Tech Heavyweights to Congress: Transition Has Our Support, Do Not Delay It

Earlier today some of the biggest names in the tech industry sent a letter to Congress in support of the IANA transition and urging Congress not to delay it. The IANA transition relies on the expiry of the contract between the US Government's Department of Commerce and ICANN which is scheduled for the end of this month. As has previously been noted, some conservative politicians, most notably Senator Ted Cruz, have been very vocal in their criticism of the move and want to block it in Congress. more

Study on Improving Internet Usability: A Framework for Domain Name Policy Evaluation

A domain name is a unique alphanumeric designation that facilitates reference to sets of numbers which actually locate a particular computer on the Internet. Domain names are a fundamental part of the Internet's user interface. Improving the usability of the Internet depends upon effective domain name policy. This study is intended to contribute to improvement in Internet usability for the end users of domain names. Benefits of more usable domain names include: higher sales, customer satisfaction and productivity, and reduced support costs. more

Canadian International Pharmacy Association Celebrates 20 Years on the Internet

The Canadian International Pharmacy Association (CIPA) recently achieved a major milestone: We celebrated our 20-year anniversary, serving millions of customers around the world who otherwise would not afford, access or trust ordering their daily maintenance medications where they live. Founded in 2002 by a group of Canadian pharmacists who recognized the potential of the Internet to provide safe and affordable access to medications... more

Move Fast and Regulate Things

The international community is converging on one notion at least: that Facebook cannot be prosecutor, judge and jury of its own achievements and transgressions. The calls to regulate social media companies first came from various legislative bodies, then from civil society and national policymakers, then from the CEO of Facebook itself, "to preserve what is best about [the Internet]." If some scepticism followed that was natural enough – was the company sincere in calling for more regulation? more

Making ICANN Relevant, Responsive and Respected

Understandably, just now new gTLDs are uppermost in the minds of people in the domain name business. For the general Internet user, some other issues retain their crucial importance: upholding the global public interest, enhancing governance within ICANN and beyond, making the Multi-Stakeholder Model (MSM) truly efficient, sustainable, and equitable. "Making ICANN Relevant, Responsive and Respected" ("R3") sets out to identify the main challenges facing the Internet community, especially in ICANN, and offers recommendations in each of the areas explored. more

World Anti Counterfeiting Day… Staggering Costs Fueled by the Web

Established in 1998 by the Global Anti-Counterfeiting Group (GACG), "World Anti Counterfeiting Day" is held annually in June to raise awareness of the international impacts of counterfeiting and piracy. According to the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the cost of counterfeiting is a $600 billion a year problem. MarkMonitor estimates the cost of online counterfeit trade at $200 billion annually. more