Internet Governance

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Will the UN Step Up Transparency on the Tech Envoy Selection Process?

A few weeks ago, a new vacancy was added to the UN Webpage for Senior Leadership Positions, inviting applications to become the new Tech Envoy. This position has a long and unfortunate backstory. It was created in 2019 as a new role, as an outgrowth of the UN's High-Level Panel on Digital Cooperation and the UN Secretary General's Roadmap for Digital Cooperation -- with a vague remit to "advise senior leadership of the United Nations on key trends in technology and... more

Lost in Translation? Bridging the Gap between Technology and Governance

It is reassuring that, with the WCIT underway, there is increasing awareness of the threats to the Internet posed by a number of the amendments, significantly in many cases supported by authoritarian governments. There is less awareness of the serious economic implications of some of the proposed ITR amendments. While it is highly unlikely a doomsday scenario will unfold at the WCIT itself, it is clear that substantial changes to Internet governance are possible over the next several years. more

US Senators Push Bill to Boost Internet, Communication Channels for Iranians

Voice of America reporting: "U.S. lawmakers say they plan legislation that would fund efforts to help Iranians receive and send information despite government restrictions. Independent Senator Joe Lieberman said Thursday that the bill intends to help the Iranian people stay 'one step ahead of the Iranian regime.'" Also a related report by AFP. more

The Summit of the Future: A Hope for the Future

The Summit of the Future (SotF) was held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on September 22 -- 23, 2024. World leaders, in the presence of stakeholders from the private sector, civil society, academic/technical communities, and youths, endorsed a landmark Pact for the Future of mankind. The Pact for the Future (P4F) (A/RES/79/1) was a significant, consensus-driven but non-binding document agreed upon by world leaders specifically on September 22, 2024. more

Sally Wentworth Appointed as New CEO of the Internet Society

The Internet Society has appointed Sally Wentworth as its new President and CEO, effective September 1, 2024. Wentworth, who has been with the organization since 2009, previously served as Managing Director and Vice President of Policy, where she played a pivotal role in shaping global Internet policy. more

China Proposes Cyberspace IDs to Simplify Online Identity Verification

The Chinese government is considering a new system allowing citizens to use cyberspace IDs instead of providing personal information to internet service providers. more

Can We Control the Digital Platforms?

The digital market has matured over the last 20 years, and it is no longer an excuse for governments to do nothing with the aim to let new markets and innovations emerge without immediate regulatory oversight. It has become clear this period is now well and truly over. The European Commission has already launched several lawsuits against the digital giants. Regulation, in general, is known as "ex-post" (after the deed has been done). This is set to change, as I will explain later. more

ANA: Concerns About ICANN’s New gTLD Plans Growing and Very Serious

In a recent blog post, Dan Jaffe, Association of National Advertisers' Executive VP of Government Relations, shares some concerns about ICANN's "overly rapid Top Level Domain rollout". more

The Loss of a Friend

Dear colleagues and friends, it is very, very difficult to write these words. The loss of a young person is always a tragedy. The untimely loss of a friend is even worse and is always a very difficult time. The loss of a fellow Internet pioneer is like losing a brother. Tarek Kamel was a great friend of the Internet Society–Bulgaria. I remember him giving an interview for the Bulgarian public television in Yokohama during the INET 2000 meeting... more

WhatsApp Suspension Called ‘Sad day for Brazil’ by Facebook

Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has called it a "sad day for Brazil" after a court there ordered a two-day shutdown of the popular messaging app WhatsApp, owned by the social media company. more

Internet Society Board of Trustees Issues Statement on IANA Transition

In a statement released today, the Internet Society says during its Board meeting 14-15 February, the Board of Trustees praised the progress made by the global Internet community on the IANA stewardship transition and emphasized that a successful transition will reinforce the value of the collaborative, multistakeholder model. more

Project 2025: The Internet and Cybersecurity

As the saying goes, elections have consequences. The consequences are underscored in the recent U.S. Presidential election and the potential impact on the Internet, infrastructure and cybersecurity. In the context of the CircleID global community, it seems worth asking where things are headed? It does beg for an analysis of what is actually proposed in Presidential Transition Project 2025 related to things internet and cybersecurity. more

Attend the Upcoming Master Class in Internet Governance and Policy

InterConnect has finalized the dates and details for its "Master Class in Internet Governance and Policy" taking place next month in Bath, UK. more

Observation from Seminar on IANA Function Stewardship Transition Held by CAICT

On August 16 of 2016, the US Government announced its intention to transit the stewardship of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) function to the multistakeholder community upon the expiration of the IANA function Contract as of October 1 of 2016, barring any significant impediment... This announcement attracts the close attention of Internet community around the world and also in China. more

Hearing Scheduled to Examine Future Relationship of US and ICANN

Rick Boucher, Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Communications Subcommittee, will hold a hearing on June 4th to examine the future of U.S. government's relationship with ICANN. Tech Daily Dose of the National Journal reports: "Boucher has previously expressed interest in holding an ICANN hearing, particularly since a joint project agreement that has allowed Commerce Department oversight of ICANN is slated to sunset on Sept. 30 amid accountability and transparency concerns." more

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