Tech Life The future of the internet is up for debate
Internet's Decentralized Governance Model
- The internet operates on shared technical standards and governance principles developed through a bottom-up, multi-stakeholder process.
- This decentralized model with input from governments, users, and businesses is key to keeping the internet open and operational.
Is the Internet's Open Model Under Threat from Government Control?
Curtis Lingvist, President and CEO of ICANN, highlights the risk that the internet's current decentralized and open multi-stakeholder governance model faces from increasing government control, especially by nations like Russia and Iran.
He explains that this could lead to a fragmented internet where access, content, and technology vary by country, harming innovation and global communication. The coming UN review in December is a critical moment where the internet's governance might shift towards state-controlled models, potentially requiring identity verification and other restrictive policies worldwide.
Lingvist emphasizes the importance of defending the existing model, which has enabled phenomenal internet growth and innovation, and warns that failure to do so would fundamentally change the internet as we know it.
Rising Threat to Internet Openness
- There is an ongoing debate whether the internet should continue its current open model or be controlled more by governments via the UN.
- A shift to state-controlled governance risks fragmenting the internet and reducing its global value and innovation.