The Sunday Show What the History of Internet Governance Tells Us About the Future of Tech Policy
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May 18, 2025 Milton L. Mueller, a professor at Georgia Tech and head of the Internet Governance Project, explores the evolution of internet governance and the implications for today's tech policy. He discusses the historic shift of U.S. control over ICANN and the emergence of a more multi-stakeholder approach post-2012. The conversation touches on the geopolitics between the U.S. and China, tensions in tech sovereignty, and the UN's role in governance. Mueller emphasizes the need to retain idealism in navigating the complex future of digital governance.
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Scope of Digital Governance Evolution
- Internet governance evolved from telecommunications policy to a broad field encompassing digital governance and cybersecurity.
- The digital ecosystem now includes diverse areas like content moderation and digital money, reflecting the complexity of modern digital policy.
Digital Policy: Reaction Over Return
- The current period is reactionary against global liberalization with rising nationalism and protectionism.
- Despite backlash, we cannot return to old monopolistic or state-controlled communication models fully.
Genesis of Internet Governance Conflict
- Internet governance started with technical experts making key policy decisions about domain names.
- As the domain name system grew, it became a focal point for battles over who should control the internet.