The truth: the transfer of ICANN, United States did not give up control of the Internet-the United States, the Internet-IT news

Related: target global governance: the United States formally hand over the rights to the Internet domain name administration

On October 1, when you are through cell phones, laptops or desktop computers connected to the Internet, may not feel any different. But decades in the history of the Internet, this day may have special significance.

On this day, United States Government finally hand over the rights to the Internet domain name administration "Internet Corporation for assigned names and numbers" (ICANN), the core resources of the Internet to an end nearly 20 years of one-sided monopoly.

Followed the problem is that United States did really gave up control of the Internet?

In fact, this "right" is not the United States Government is willing, but the little concession under strong pressure from the international community. Meanwhile, United States Government and it is not just "turn right", but stringent precondition is set, namely to the "global Internet community interest" and set up a complex system of checks and balances in order to keep themselves in the form of a "right" still has an invisible control .

Headquartered in the United States, California, nonprofit international organization ICANN was established in 1998, in accordance with United States Department of Commerce national telecommunications and information administration under the contracts, it assumes the management of the global Internet domain name system, Internet Protocol (IP) address allocation, Protocol parameter configuration, and root server system management functions, while the national telecommunications and information administration on the operation of this body has the final say.

Since ICANN was first established, United States Government on the promise that the future will hand over the rights to the Internet domain name system management, but have been "little wool". Until 2013, the "snow event" exposure of United States intelligence agencies after large-scale monitoring of the Internet, in order to calm the anger of the international community, United States announced in March 2014, accelerate the transfer process.

United States Internet research specialist at the University of Southern California Hongyu said that United States Internet top-level domain name allocation, the Government has maintained monopoly control of unilateralism, constitute a single geopolitical and military deterrence, so unpopular in the world. "Snow event" laid bare the United States claims to be the "guardian of the open Internet" sham, seriously undermining its moral foreign policy based on the Internet.

Meanwhile, the Internet has changed from a cutting-edge technology for global infrastructure, countries around the world step by step legal norms. In this situation, if also at the most basic level of Internet resources to maintain a State prerogative, not too much sense, but United States Government into the passive. These are the United States finally decided to "hand over power" an important factor.

As the United States national telecommunications and information Council recently in a copies background statement in the by admitted, has long, United States Government in Internet domain name system management in the of role "has been is let foreign Government discontent of a source", some national so calls for by United Nations, and International Telecommunications Union or new established a Government between institutions to took over domain name system management right, "if United States Government not completed this a power of transfer, States to multilateral Government run way replaced more interests stake mode of calls only will increasingly high ".

It should be said that in the United States national telecommunications and information administration after the surrender of control over ICANN, seemingly United States administrative intervention on domain name management ability greatly reduced, but the United States has full use of the power to last for some time, for ICANN's future evolution of foreshadowing, "multi-stakeholder model" is the key.

The so-called "multi-stakeholder model", includes academia, civil society organizations, industry groups and the Government, including a diverse participation. However, in order to avoid after the handover of power by a Government or a third-party control or "hostile takeover", in the terms of surrender, governmental and intergovernmental organizations are limited to policy advisory role. Over 160 countries of the Government as a whole as an Advisory Committee to participate, consensus must be reached within the Commission can publish policy recommendations.

Thus, ICANN took over rights to the Internet domain name administration after independence are more likely to "privatization", rather than a multilateral Government-run. This is inconsistent with claims of other countries of the world.

Has written several monographs of the global Internet governance United States Professor Georgia Institute of mierdun·mile think, which Internet governance is an "important innovation". He told Xinhua that "This marked national sovereignty to sovereignty of the people in cyberspace. "But he also acknowledged that needs this model starts to run only after know if practical.

Worth noting is that Internet giant "multi-stakeholder model" will play an important role, and the United States will is much stronger than in other countries business, hardware and software technology, and talent advantage continues to remain relevant.

Hongyu that, while "global Internet community interest" in principle support the involvement of multiple, but Internet companies have enormous influence, so the transfer access to Amazon, Google, giants such as Cisco systems, Microsoft and Facebook support, and these are United States companies. In addition, most commercial value of domain assets, such as the largest top-level domain. "com", ranking fifth. "net" in United States business weiruixin hands, does not change with the handover of power , "the political and economic structure of the domain name industry has not changed for the time being."

In addition, the future of Internet governance, United States law also still exists. United States national telecommunications and information administration laolunsi·shitelikelin, the Secretary has said that ICANN will "has been and will continue to be (United States) restriction of anti-monopoly law." Rights programme also made clear that the Agency's headquarters are still in California, must comply with local laws.

Obviously, in the process of transfer of rights to the Internet domain name administration, the applicable law is a focus of discussions. Miller noted that the United States Government, especially the impact on ICANN enforcement and the Executive actually decreases, but the United States will continue to influence the institutions of law. He further explained that ICANN is an international institution, so once the Act is considered to create or increase a monopoly, not only may be subject to United States antitrust law investigations in China or Europe might accept the same antitrust law investigations.

In the long run, ICANN is it possible in the future in the United States as outside Switzerland built a parallel body to enhance its international legitimacy, is still unknown.

Obviously, United States "hand power" a step towards world governance of the Internet, but the Internet to really get rid of United States stealth control, there is still a long way to go and many challenges to face.

真相：移交ICANN，美国并未放弃互联网控制权 - 美国,互联网 - IT资讯

相关阅读：《目标全球共治：美国正式交出互联网域名管理权》

10月1日，当您通过手机、笔记本或台式电脑连上互联网时，也许不会感到有什么不同。但在互联网几十年发展史中，这一天可能具有特殊意义。

就在这一天，美国政府终于将互联网域名管理权移交“互联网名称与数字地址分配机构”（ICANN），从而结束对这一互联网核心资源近20年的单边垄断。

随之而来的问题是，美国真的放弃了互联网控制权了吗？

事实上，这次“交权”并非美国政府心甘情愿，而是在国际社会强大压力下的一点点让步。同时，美国政府也不是随便“交权”，而是设置了严格的前提条件，即交给“全球互联网多利益攸关社群”，并设立了复杂的制衡系统，以保证自己在形式的“交权”后仍拥有隐形的控制权。

总部设在美国加利福尼亚州的非营利性国际组织ICANN成立于1998年，根据与美国商务部下属的国家电信和信息局合约，它承担全球互联网域名系统管理、互联网协议（IP）地址分配、协议参数配置以及根服务器系统管理等职能，而国家电信和信息局对这个机构如何运行具有最终决定权。

自ICANN成立之初，美国政府就承诺未来会交出互联网域名系统管理权，但一直“雷声大雨点小”。直到2013年，“斯诺登事件”曝光美国情报机构大范围监控互联网后，为了平息国际社会的愤怒，美国才于2014年3月宣布加速移交进程。

美国南加州大学互联网研究专家洪宇说，美国政府在互联网顶级域名分配上一直保持单边主义的垄断性控制，构成单极的地缘政治和军事威慑力，所以在世界范围内不得人心。“斯诺登事件”戳穿了美国自称的“开放互联网守护者”假象，严重削弱了它在互联网外交政策上的道德基础。

同时，互联网已由一项前沿技术转变为全球性的基础设施，逐步受到世界各国法律的规范。在此形势下，如果还在最基础的互联网资源层面坚持一国特权，没有太大意义，反而让美国政府陷于被动。这些都是导致美国最终决定“交权”的重要因素。

正如美国国家电信和信息局近日在一份背景声明中所承认，长期以来，美国政府在互联网域名系统管理中的角色“一直是让外国政府不满的一个源头”，一些国家因此呼吁由联合国、国际电信联盟或新设立一个政府间机构来接管域名系统管理权，“如果美国政府不完成这一权力的移交，各国以多边政府运行方式取代多利益攸关模式的呼声只会越来越高”。

应该说，在美国国家电信和信息局交出对ICANN的控制权后，表面上美国对域名管理的行政干预能力确实大幅削弱，但美国已充分利用最后一段时间的权力，为ICANN今后的演变埋下伏笔，“多利益攸关模式”就是关键。

所谓“多利益攸关模式”，是指包括学界、民间组织、行业组织乃至政府等在内的多元参与。但是，为了避免交权后被其他政府或某个第三方控制或者“恶意接管”，在移交条件中，政府及政府间组织被限定为政策制定顾问的角色。超过160个国家的政府整体作为一个咨询委员会参与进来，必须在委员会内部达成共识之后方能发布政策建议。

因此，ICANN独立接管互联网域名管理权后更可能走向“私有化”，而非多边政府运行。这并不符合世界其他国家的主张。

曾撰写多本全球互联网治理专著的美国佐治亚理工学院教授米尔顿·米勒认为，这种互联网治理模式是一个“重要创新”。他对新华社记者说：“这标志着网络空间的国家主权走向人民主权。”但他也承认，还需等这种模式开始运行后才能知道是否实际可行。

值得注意的是，互联网巨头在“多利益攸关模式”中将扮演重要角色，而美国将通过比其他国家强大得多的企业、硬件和软件技术、人才等优势继续保持影响力。

洪宇认为，虽然“全球互联网多利益攸关社群”原则上支持多元参与，但实际上互联网企业将拥有极大影响力，所以这次移交获得了亚马逊、谷歌、思科、微软和脸书等巨头支持，而这些都是美国企业。另外，最具商业价值的域名资产，如顶级域名中最大的“.com”、排名第五的“.net”都在美国企业威瑞信手里，不会随着此次交权而改变，“域名产业的政治经济格局暂时没有变”。

此外，对今后的互联网管理，美国法律的控制也仍然存在。美国国家电信和信息局局长劳伦斯·施特里克林曾表示，ICANN会“一直并将继续受到（美国）反垄断法的制约”。交权方案也明确指出，这个机构的总部仍位于加州，必须遵守当地法律。

显然，在互联网域名管理权转移的过程中，其适用法律是一个讨论焦点。米勒指出，美国政府尤其是执法与行政机关对ICANN的影响确实在减小，但美国法律将继续影响这一机构。他进一步解释说，ICANN是一个国际机构，所以一旦有行为被认为制造或增加垄断，将不仅可能受美国反垄断法律调查，在中国或欧洲也同样可能接受反垄断法律调查。

从长远看，ICANN未来是否有可能在美国之外如瑞士建一个平行机构，以提升其国际化合法性，目前仍不得而知。

可见，美国“交权”迈出了互联网全球共治的一步，但互联网要真正摆脱美国的隐形控制，仍有很长的路要走、诸多挑战要面对。