14 DAY TRIAL // The DSN, Internet's domain naming system, will remain under the control of the U.S. Department of Commerce, and won't be turned over to the ICANN, the international nonprofit organization that is currently in charge of its management.
According to eWeek.com, in an address covering the agency's latest policies on broadband, wireless spectrum allocation and other national infrastructure matters, Assistant Secretary of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Michael Gallagher brought up the matter of the Internet's DNS (Domain Name System) and the administration's relationship with ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers.
"Given the Internet's importance to the world's economy, it is essential that the underlying DNS of the Internet remain stable and secure. As such, the United States is committed to taking no action that would have the potential to adversely impact the effective and efficient operation of the DNS, and will therefore maintain its historic role in authorizing changes or modifications to the authoritative root zone file," said Michael Gallagher.
According to the Assistant Secretary, the United States will continue to work with ICANN. However, ICANN is the "appropriate technical manager of the Internet DNS," and hasn't got a decisional power. The United States will "continue to provide oversight so that ICANN maintains its focus and meets its core technical mission," said Gallagher.
This move is totally opposite to the ideas contained in the MOU (memorandum of understanding) between the Dept. of Commerce and ICANN, according to which ICANN would have received the control over DNS September 2006.
Speaking about the issue of the transfer of control, CEO Paul Twomey said that "To date we have completed all milestones on or before the time stipulated. We are confident that not only will the MOU be completed, but that by doing so ICANN will have passed important tests related to its independence, its democratic and transparent functioning, efficient management, effective decision-making process, and having well-described roles and relationships with all its stakeholders,".
Twomey has clearly stated his opinion on the relationship between the U.S. Department of Commerce and ICANN, saying that "As to what will be the relationship between the U.S. Department of Commerce and ICANN after the completion of the MOU, let me be clear that ICANN does not speak on behalf of the United States Government. That said, the roles of all governments, including that of the U.S. Government, are important, as they share the same interest as all ICANN's stakeholders, namely a stable and secure Internet."
It's clear than this issue is a very complicated one, since it also has a political aspect. According to a statement by Michael Froomkin, a law professor at the University of Miami School of Law and critic of ICANN, for Internet News, the Commerce Department's move is an attempt to impact the upcoming meeting of the United Nation's World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) rather than something specifically targeting the ICANN. Through WSIS, the UN has been trying to play a larger role in Internet governance.
In any case, this move seems more of a show of force than anything else, and, according to Froomkin, "the decision as one that will maintain the status quo, where the U.S. government continues to exert limited oversight of ICANN".