Before President Obama’s final term ends, his administration plans on giving away the remaining control over the internet that America has had since the web’s inception.
Officials have confirmed that in less that two months, a multilateral body comprised of other countries will command stewardship over the Internet’s domain name system. The date of the transition is set for Oct. 1.
The DNS converts alphabetic names such as Google.com into numeric IP addresses. Since 1998, the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration has partnered with ICANN, a California nonprofit, to keep things running.
Advertisement - story continues below
The plans for this move were first announced in 2014 after it was revealed the National Security Agency had been spying on foreign leaders. The Obama administration views this as necessary to maintain international support and claims it will have no effect on everyday internet users.
But some members of congress — notably conservative Republicans — are worried this move could threaten America’s national security. In a letter sent to the Department of Commerce, Sen. Ted Cruz warned of possible negative outcomes.
“The proposal will significantly increase the power of foreign governments over the Internet, expand ICANN’s historical core mission by creating a gateway to content regulation, and embolden [its] leadership to act without any real accountability,” Cruz wrote.
Advertisement - story continues below
The letter was also signed by two fellow Republicans, Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma and Sen. Mike Lee of Utah.
“We have uncovered that ICANN’s Beijing office is actually located within the same building as the Cyberspace Administration of China, which is the central agency within the Chinese government’s censorship regime,” the letter continues. “While this is certainly not illegal, it does raise significant concerns as to the increased influence that governments … as well as the culture of cronyism.”
Additionally, more than 25 advocacy groups sent an action letter to Congress reminding lawmakers that it was illegal to use tax dollars for a transition, and that the Constitution prohibits giving away federal property without prior permission from Congress.
Department of Commerce Assistant Secretary Lawrence Strickling is a strong advocate for transferring ownership of the internet and doesn’t foresee any “significant impediments.”
“This multi-stakeholder model is the key reason why the Internet has grown and thrived as a dynamic platform for innovation, economic growth and free expression,” Strickling wrote. “We appreciate the hard work and dedication of all the stakeholders involved in this effort and look forward to their continuing engagement.”
Advertisement - story continues below
Breitbart News noted the potential downfalls of this move back in 2014.
“U.S. control of domain names has guaranteed freedom of speech and commerce across the Internet, against the strenuous efforts of countries like China and Iran to suppress Internet traffic and content. In addition, victims of international terror have found potential relief in U.S. courts by suing to seize the domain names of countries like Iran in lieu of direct compensation. Without U.S. control, those victims would have no possible recourse.”
The Obama administration has, by and large, ignored all critics of the plan, and even though bills to block this act are still being reviewed by Congress, they plan to carry it out even without approval.
What do you think? Scroll down to comment below.
