Policy & Regulation

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Lawful Access Bills Proposed for ISPs in Canada

Michael Geist writes: "The bills contain a three-pronged approach focused on information disclosure, mandated surveillance technologies, and new police powers. The first prong mandates the disclosure of Internet provider customer information without court oversight. Under current privacy laws, providers may voluntarily disclose customer information but are not required to do so. The new system would require the disclosure of customer name, address, phone number, email address, Internet protocol address, and a series of device identification numbers." more

Senate Bill to Reverse FCC Decision to Repeal Net Neutrality Received Its 30th Co-Sponsor

A Senate bill that would reverse the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) decision to repeal Net Neutrality received its 30th co-sponsor today, ensuring it will receive a vote on the Senate floor. more

CFR Report: Reversing IANA Transition by Trump Administration Would Be a Grave Mistake

Council on Foreign Relations has released a brief today authored by Megan Stifel, former director for international cyber policy at the U.S. National Security Council in the Obama administration, urging Trump administration to not back away from the IANA transition and to instead invest in the multistakeholder process. more

IGF Call for Public Comments on the Definition of Multistakeholder Participation Mechanisms

Over the past weeks, communities gathering experts from government, business, Civil Society, and the academic and technical communities, have been working through open mailing lists and online virtual meetings on IGF Best Practices. The discussion was documented by independent experts that will feed into five 90 minute Forums in Istanbul and that will in turn report into a Best Practices Main Session. more

A New Low for the ICANN Multistakeholder Process

ICANN's dismissal of public comments submitted on the .COM Registry Amendment wasn't surprising given that it recently dismissed the public comments on the .Org Renewal Agreement, but the speed and disdain which it demonstrated was. Despite public pronouncements by ICANN President and CEO, Gören Marby and assurances from ICANN Board Chair, Maarten Botterman, that public comments were welcomed and that ICANN would take them seriously... more

Free the Fiber Now

In a previous blog post I mentioned that the FCC had taken away restrictions to allow broadband supplied by E-Rate funding to be used to provide free WiFi for the public. That's a good idea that will provide some relief for areas with little or no other broadband. But the announcement raises a more fundamental question - why was such a restriction in place to begin with? more

FISMA Focus: Continuously Monitoring the Cyber-Levee

NIST's release of their initial public draft of SP 800-137, Guide for Continuous Monitoring of Information Systems and Organizations will create a set of challenges for the federal cybersecurity community. Agencies and contractors will need to shape the document through the multi-stage revision process while continuing to implement their own continuous monitoring measures. more

Net Neutrality Advocates Planning Two Days of Protest in Washington DC

A coalition of activists and consumer groups are planning to gather in Washington, DC to meet directly with the members of Congress, which is said to be the "most effective way to influence their positions and counter the power of telecom lobbyists and campaign contributions." more

The Hidden Costs of Digital Convenience

In today's digital age, the Internet is a ubiquitous presence in our lives, playing a pivotal role in how we communicate, work, learn, and entertain ourselves. However, the convenience and benefits of the Internet come with a hidden cost to the environment, which is often overlooked by end users. This article explores the environmental impact of online activities and highlights the importance of adopting more sustainable digital practices. more

US Department of Commerce Reports on Open Internet, Privatization of DNS

Report form U.S. Department of Commerce: "Enabling Growth and Innovation in the Digital Economy" ... "The report articulates the Department of Commerce’s philosophy for digital economy policymaking and demonstrates the many ways in which the Department has pursued its policy agenda consistent with that philosophy." –Penny Pritzker, U.S. Secretary of Commerce more

DCA Trust Strongly Urges ICANN Board Not to Adopt the Proposed Amendment to Its Bylaw

ICANN has been busy in managing several parallel processes that are also closely tied together in one way or the other. The processes include the new gTLD process, the IANA transition and most currently and important action yet that would act as the synergizing factor is the accountability process. ICANN has also posted for public comment proposed Bylaws revisions that would incorporate a higher voting threshold for the Board to determine not to follow the advice of the Governmental Advisory Committee. more

UK First Country to Implement Cybersecurity Laws for Smart Devices, Including Banning Easily Guessable Default Passwords

Today UK's new consumer protection laws against hacking and cyber-attacks officially take effect. This legislation, a global first, mandates that all internet-connected smart devices - from smartphones and game consoles to connected refrigerators - meet stringent security standards. more

Internet Association Meets With the FCC In Efforts to Preserve Net-Neutrality Rules

Jon Brodkin reporting in Ars Technica: "Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai and his staff met yesterday with the Internet Association, a trade group whose members include Amazon, Dropbox, eBay, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Netflix, PayPal, Reddit, Spotify, Twitter, and about 30 other Web companies. The meeting occurred about a week after Pai reportedly met with broadband industry lobby groups to discuss his plans for eliminating net neutrality rules." more

Global Public Interest Appeal for ICANN’s New gTLD Program

Leaving the Public Forum yesterday at the ICANN meeting in Costa Rica I had learned of a couple of decisions which to me goes against serving the global public interest. At an ICANN Board meeting a few months ago which I unfortunately missed the Board resolved matters related to how financial support and batching will take place in the new gTLD Program. I would like to put forward proposals for adjusting these... 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