By Robert Romano “I think they see now that this is actually a good thing for the Internet.” That was Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) CEO Fadi Chehade, declaring to Reuters that congressional opposition to an Obama administration plan to transfer key Internet names and numbers authorities from the Department of Commerce was fading. Chehade added, “I am […]

Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement responding to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) CEO Fadi Chehade’s proclamation that the transition of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) functions from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will be complete by the end of 2015: “The arrogance of Fadi Chehade is enormous even by Washington, D.C. standards. While Congress has defunded all NTIA actions […]

By Robert Romano “None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to relinquish the responsibility of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration [NTIA] during fiscal year 2015 with respect to Internet domain name system functions, including responsibility with respect to the authoritative root […]

By Robert Romano In December, when Congress prohibited the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) from relinquishing stewardship of Internet governance to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) this fiscal year, it also instructed the agency to keep Congress apprised of its contingency plans […]

By Robert Romano The Senate has unanimously declared this week to be “Internet Governance Awareness Week,” which like it sounds, is intended to bring attention to how the Internet works the way it does. Why when you type in a domain name into your browser, it properly links to the website’s […]

By Robert Romano “[W]e will not use appropriated funds to terminate the IANA functions contract with ICANN prior to the contract’s current expiration date of September 30, 2015.” That was Department of Commerce Assistant Secretary Lawrence Strickling speaking to the State of the Net conference at a session entitled , “Internet Functions in Transition: Is the US and the World Ready?” on January 27. Here, Strickling […]

By Robert Romano “Last year the Administration announced it wants to give up oversight of Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) contract. If this transition is going to happen, it has to be done very carefully. We have […]

By Robert Romano Inside of a week, Russia has convinced Facebook to ban a page calling for support of Alexei Navalny, a notable critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, inside of Russia. And the North Korean government in a sophisticated, embarrassing hack of Sony Pictures , managed to get the production company to cancel release of The Interview, a comedy […]

By Robert Romano No sooner had the omnibus bill’s language been dropped, including language defunding the Internet giveaway, than advocates were urging the National Information and Telecommunications Administration (NTIA) to simply ignore the clear prohibition, originally authored by Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wisc.). To the uninitiated, the omnibus bill states in section 540 : “None of the funds […]

By Robert Romano “None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to relinquish the responsibility of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration during fiscal year 2015 with respect to Internet domain name system functions, including responsibility with respect to the authoritative root zone […]