Policy & Regulation

Obama: From Now On Digital Infrastructure Treated As Strategic National Asset

In a speech today from the White House, President Obama declared that the United States' computers and digital networks are strategic national assets and that he will personally appoint a cybersecurity coordinator to oversee the effort to protect this critical infrastructure. more

Decoding Internet Governance Stakeholders, Part 2: Private Sector

The "Decoding Internet Governance Stakeholders" series of articles invites the community to ponder what underlies the labels that define our interactions, roughly 20 years after the "Tunis Agenda for the Information Society" called for the "full involvement of governments, business entities, civil society and intergovernmental organizations", as well as to "make full use of the expertise of the academic, scientific and technical communities". more

The Massive Cyberattack or Chronicle of a Strike Foretold

During the last Computer Law Conference organized by ADIAR (Argentina Computer Law Association) and the Universidad Nacional de Sur, I gave a conference on the Internet of Things, cybercrime and dangerous situation presented by the lack of proper regulation -- a topic in which I have one of my research projects. At the moment some people argued that I was talking about something that might happen in a relatively distant future, dissenting with my view that the possibility was imminent.. more

Governments Pushing for Greater Control Over Geographic TLDs

Governments are toying with the idea of asking ICANN for greater powers over gTLDs that match their geographic features," Kevin Murphy reporting in Domain Incite. more

FCC Chair Kevin Martin Makes His Departure Official, Announces Resignation

In his last meeting today, Federal Communication Commission (FCC) chairman Kevin J. Martin, announced that he will be leaving the commission and will not be staying in the Obama administration. While the chairman had previously declined commenting on his future plans, the departure did not come unexpected. In the statement after announcing his departure at the FCC meeting, Martin also mentioned that he would depart Jan. 20 to become a Senior Fellow at the Aspen Institute in Washington, D.C. This announcement follows reports that President-elect Barack Obama will nominate Julius Genachowski to be the next FCC chairman. more

ICC to Reninforce Multistakeholder Approach to Internet Policy at Internet Governance Forum

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has announced plans to use its presence at the 7th annual Internet Governance Forum (IGF) next month to reinforce the value of a multistakeholder approach to public policy development. more

Grenadian Prime Minister Calls for Caribbean Businesses to Invest in AI

Grenadian Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell is calling for Caribbean policymakers and business leaders to recognise the significance of artificial intelligence technologies. Artificial intelligence, or AI, refers to the ability of computer systems to do tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, and decision-making. more

Google’s Chief Suggests Applying Open Principles of Internet to Energy Infrastructure

Google's Chief Executive Officer Eric Schmidt, a member of President-elect Barack Obama's Transition Economic Advisory Board, said the government needs to focus on the areas of broadband infrastructure, research and alternative energy in an effort to rebuild the nation's economy. Openness is critical for that, he argued. The end-to-end principle that underlies the Internet, the open network, is a must. "It is that openness, the ability that anyone can play ... that drives the modern economy... Why don't we do the same thing with the energy grid? ...isn't it obvious?" more

ICANN67 Round-Up

This past meeting of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), ICANN67, was intended to be held in person in Cancun, Mexico, but was actually the first meeting to be held entirely online and virtually. It was a well-managed affair with fewer sessions than the in-person meetings and less opportunity for the community to convene and meet as individuals. The last-minute change from an in-person to a virtual meeting impacted ICANN's ability to provide translation services for the full set of UN-supported languages, Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish. more

Singapore Plans to Cut Off Internet Access for Government Agencies

"Singapore is planning to cut off web access for public servants as a defence against potential cyber attack," according to a report today in the Guardian. more

The Worrying Prospects for Digital Trade Under President Trump

US leadership and influence online stems from US innovation and corporate risk-taking. But it also is the direct result of US Government policy. In the early days of the web and e-commerce, the Clinton administration recognized they had to figure out a strategy to reconcile the internet, which is global, with laws and regulations, which are domestic. Instead of demanding negotiations for shared global rules, Administration officials put forward a set of principles, which they called the Framework for Global Electronic Commerce. more

Efforts to Curb Cyber Espionage Will Further Fragment Internet Regulatory Environment

Ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Washington at the end of September, the White House reportedly is ready to announce sanctions against Chinese entities allegedly involved in industrial espionage. more

FCC Approves New Privacy Rules Restricting Data Collection by Broadband Providers

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission today voted 3-2 to approve rules requiring broadband Internet Service Providers to provide customers more control over the use of their personal information. more

UK’s Proposed Spy Law Can Force Apple to Bypass Security, Plus a Gag Order

The newly proposed British spying law, the Investigatory Powers Bill (IPB), is reported to include methods that would permit the British government to order companies like Apple to re-engineer their own technology, similar to current demands from the FBI. In addition, if the law passes, it would be accompanied by a gag order. more

Internet a Key Catalyst for Sustainable Development, Says ISOC CEO

Internet Society President and CEO Kathy Brown wrote about the critical role that the Internet has in enabling the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). more