Thursday

28th Mar 2024

American Internet dominance challenged by EU

  • Should the United States maintain its historic role? (Photo: European Commission)

An EU proposal to wrest governing control over the Internet from the US is gathering support around the globe.

A few weeks before an important UN summit, the EU is claiming backing from everybody in the world apart from the US for a proposal to internationalise control of the World Wide Web.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Get the EU news that really matters

Instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

Adopted by EU telecommunication ministers in July, the plan aims at finding a new model for international cooperation without setting up new institutions or getting involved in the day-to-day operations.

The Internet was invented by Americans and is still managed by the California-based, not-for-profit Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann) on behalf of the entire world.

Icann is governed by an internationally diverse Board of Directors overseeing the policy development process. But the organisation still operates under contract to the US department of commerce, which will run out by the end of 2006.

Internet users in the entire world must request the Icann organisation to be able to insert new top level domains, such as the .eu domain which is shortly to be opened for registration. The allocation system of Internet Protocol addresses (IP numbers) is also handled by Icann.

And disputes with Icann must follow Californian laws.

The EU is instead calling for "the establishment of an arbitration and dispute resolution mechanism based on international law in case of disputes".

All againgst one

The EU proposal was supported by all other countries apart from the US, at a preparatory conference in Geneva in last month, according to commission IT spokesman Martin Selmayr.

It is not that Icann is not doing a good job but even it has called for internationalisation, he added.

Countries such as Brazil are threatening to set up their own regional internet, if no globalisation of the World Wide Web is introduced.

"It would be disastrous. Something we at all price should avoid. It might mean the end of the world wide web, as we know it", said Mr Selmayr referring to a regional internet.

But the Americans are not likely to give in without a fight.

Members of the US House of Representatives said last week that the US should resist international pressure to give up authority over key Internet functions.

"Given the Internet’s importance to the world’s economy, it is essential that the underlying domain name system of the Internet remains stable and secure", a joint letter from Republican and Democrat congress members demanded.

The letter insisted the United States should maintain its historic role in authorising changes or modifications to the authoritative root zone file.

Addressed to Ambassador David A. Gross, who is the US Coordinator for International Communication and Information Policy the letter concluded:

"The Bush Administration, and specifically the Department of Commerce, should continue to maintain strong oversight so that Icann maintains its focus and meets it core technical mission".

The Association for Competitive Technology (ACT), an international trade group for the ICT industry, takes the same line.

"We can only assume that the EU made this proposal with the best of intentions, but all those who cherish the dynamism, openness and freedom of the Internet must be concerned about where it could lead," said ACT president Jonathan Zuck.

"The European Union proposal would replace the current effective system with a bureaucratic government coalition. The question that must be asked is: Can such a body really be effective and efficient?"

Keep the Internet free

Some prominent EU politicians have also rejected the idea. Sweden’s former prime minister and an active member of Friends of Europe, Carl Bildt turned down the EU initiative.

"Keep the Internet free", he said in a comment printed in the International Herald Tribune.

"It would be profoundly dangerous to now set up an international mechanism, controlled by governments, to take over the running of the Internet," according to Mr Bildt.

While accusing the commission of going "much too far" and urging current EU council president Tony Blair to step into the battle, Mr Bildt concluded that "leaving some ultimate safeguard powers in the hands of the United States, that's certainly better than having theocrats or autocrats around the world getting their hands on the levers of control."

The battle over future control of the Internet will be continued in Tunisia at the World Summit of the Information Society, 16 - 18 November.

Aside from future Internet governance, the summit will also look at ways to bridge the digital divide between developed and developing countries.

EU internet governance plan gains US support

With only a day left for the UN world summit on information to kick off in Tunis, a European Union compromise proposal on how to govern the internet is gaining international support, Brussels says.

'Swiftly dial back' interest rates, ECB told

Italian central banker Piero Cipollone in his first monetary policy speech since joining the ECB's board in November, said that the bank should be ready to "swiftly dial back our restrictive monetary policy stance."

Opinion

EU Modernisation Fund: an open door for fossil gas in Romania

Among the largest sources of financing for energy transition of central and eastern European countries, the €60bn Modernisation Fund remains far from the public eye. And perhaps that's one reason it is often used for financing fossil gas projects.

Latest News

  1. German bank freezes account of Jewish peace group
  2. EU Modernisation Fund: an open door for fossil gas in Romania
  3. 'Swiftly dial back' interest rates, ECB told
  4. Moscow's terror attack, security and Gaza
  5. Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult
  6. EU unveils plan to create a European cross-border degree
  7. How migrants risk becoming drug addicts along Balkan route
  8. 2024: A Space Odyssey — why the galaxy needs regulating

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersJoin the Nordic Food Systems Takeover at COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersHow women and men are affected differently by climate policy
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  5. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  6. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsThis autumn Europalia arts festival is all about GEORGIA!
  2. UNOPSFostering health system resilience in fragile and conflict-affected countries
  3. European Citizen's InitiativeThe European Commission launches the ‘ImagineEU’ competition for secondary school students in the EU.
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersThe Nordic Region is stepping up its efforts to reduce food waste
  5. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  6. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA

Join EUobserver

EU news that matters

Join us