Internet Governance based on Multiple-Stakeholders: Opportunities, Issues and Developments

Authors: Martin Hans Knahl

Abstract:

The Internet is the global data communications infrastructure based on the interconnection of both public and private networks using protocols that implement Internetworking on a global scale. Hence the control of protocol and infrastructure development, resource allocation and network operation are crucial and interlinked aspects. Internet Governance is the hotly debated and contentious subject that refers to the global control and operation of key Internet infrastructure such as domain name servers and resources such as domain names. It is impossible to separate technical and political positions as they are interlinked. Furthermore the existence of a global market, transparency and competition impact upon Internet Governance and related topics such as network neutrality and security. Current trends and developments regarding Internet governance with a focus on the policy-making process, security and control have been observed to evaluate current and future implications on the Internet. The multi stakeholder approach to Internet Governance discussed in this paper presents a number of opportunities, issues and developments that will affect the future direction of the Internet. Internet operation, maintenance and advisory organisations such as the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) or the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) are currently in the process of formulating policies for future Internet Governance. Given the controversial nature of the issues at stake and the current lack of agreement it is predicted that institutional as well as market governance will remain present for the network access and content.

Keywords: Internet Governance, ICANN, Democracy, Security

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1328542

References:

[1] Mueller, M. , Mathiason, M. , Klein, H. (2007).The Internet and Global Governance: Principles and Norms for a New Regime, Global Governance: A Review of Multilateralism and International Organizations, Lynne Rienner Publishers, Volume 13, issue 2, April - June 2007: pp. 237-254.
[2] Obama, Barack (2008). President-elect Barack Obama lays out key parts of Economic Recovery Plan. Change.gov. 6 December 2008. Retrieved 27 January 2009 from http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/the_key_parts_of_the_jobs_p lan/
[3] Google, 2007, A Guide to Net Neutrality for Google Users. Retrieved 13 July 2007, from http://www.google.com/help/netneutrality.html.
[4] Collins, R., 2006. Internet Governance in the UK. Media, Culture & Society. Vol. 28 (3): 337-358.
[5] Mathiason, John (2009). Internet Governance - The new frontier of global institutions. Routledge - Taylor & Francis Group. London and New York.
[6] Hernaez, Eric, 2007, Wall Street Journal on Wireless Network Neutrality, Circle ID, 15 June 2007. Retrieved 8 July 2007 from http://www.circleid.com/posts/wsj_on_wireless_network_neutra lity/.
[7] ITU, Final Acts of the Plenipotentiary Conference . International Telecommunications Union (ITU) , Extracts: Resolution 130 (Rev. Antalya, 2006):Strengthening the role of ITU in building confidence and security in the use of information and communication technologies and Resoultion (Antalya, 2006): Study of definitions and terminology relating to building confidence and security in the use of information and communication technologie. Antalya, 2006.
[8] Forouzan, B., 2006. TCP/IP Protocol Suite. McGraw-Hill, International Edition.
[9] Sassen, S. , 2002, Locating cities on global circuits, Environment and Urbanization, Volume 14, No. 1 (2002): pp. 13-30.
[10] Choi, Junho H. et. al. , 2006, Comparing world city networks: a network analysis of Internet backbone and air transport intercity linkages, Global Networks, Volume 6, No. 1 (2006): pp. 81-99.
[11] Budde, Paul, 2006, Regional: Internet: The Americas - 2006, Communication Pty Ltd. , p. 27.
[12] Keizer, Gregg, 2005. Dutch Botnet Bigger Than Expected. TechWeb Technology News. Oktober 21, 2005.
[13] Leyden, John (2004). Telenor takes down 'massive' botnet. Enterprise Security. 9th September 2004.
[14] Leyden, John (2005). ISPs urged to throttle spam zombies: International clean-up campaign. The Register. 24th May 2005.
[15] Grizzard, Julian et al (2007). Peer-to-Peer Botnets: Overview and Case Study. HotBots '07 / 4th USENIX Symposium on Networked Systems Design & Implementation (NSDI '07). Cambridge (MA), 11-13 April 2007.
[16] Goth, G. (2007). Fast-Moving Zombies: Botnets Stay a Step Ahead of the Fixes. IEEE Internet Computing. Volume 11 (2): 7-9.
[17] Carr, Nicolas, 2007. Botnets - a hidden menace that threaten the future of the Internet. The Guardian. 5 April 2007.Christou, G., 2006. The Internet and Public-Private Governance in the European Union. Journal of Public Policy, Vol . 26, 1: 43-61.
[18] Weber, Tim, 2007. Criminals 'may overwhelm the web'. BBC News website. 25 January 2007.
[19] Beznosov, Konstantin and Beznosova, Olga (2007). On the imbalance of the security problem space and its expected consequences. Information Management & Computer Security. Emerald Group Publishing Limited. 2007, Volume: 15 (5):420 - 431.
[20] Lane, Jill (2003). Digital Zapatistas. TDR/The Drama Review. 2003 47:2 (T178): 129-144.
[21] Brett Stalbaum, ÔÇÿThe Zapatista Tactical FloodNet: A collabortive, activist and conceptual art work of the net-, Retrieved 25 Jamuary 2008 from http://www.thing.net/~rdom/ecd/ZapTact.html
[22] Ford, Captain Christopher M. (2007). What Is Insurgency? Military review, US Department of Law. May / June 2007: 85- 91.
[23] Chadwick, Andrew, 2007, Digital Network Repertoires and Organizational Hybridity. Political Communication, Volume 24, H. 3: 283-301.
[24] Thomson, Iain, 2008, ÔÇÿEnterprise security software market booms-. Vnunet news. 18 June2008. Retrieved on 24 January 2009 from http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2219275/enterprisesoftware- market
[25] Post, Gerald V. , Kagan, Albert, 2007, Evaluating information security tradeoffs: Restricting access can interfere with user tasks. Elsevier / Computers & Security. No. 26, 2007: 229-237.
[26] Kranton, R. E. and Minehart, D. F. , 2001, A theory of buyerseller networks. American Economic Review 91: 485-508.
[27] D-Ignazio, Alession and Giovanetti, Emanulele, 2006, FROM EXOGENOUS TO ENDOGENOUS ECONOMIC NETWORKS: INTERNET APPLICATIONS, Journal of Economic Surveys 20 (5), 757-796.
[28] O'Rourke, J. S. et al, 2007. Google in China: government censorship and corporate reputation. Journal of Business Strategy Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Volume 28, Number 3, 2007: 12-22.
[29] Ponce de Leon, Carlos Silva, 2005, Intra-regional Internet connectivity still an ongoing issue. Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier Ltd. , 29: 367-386.
[30] European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, 2002. Directive 2002/21/EC of 7 March 2002 on a common regulatory Framework for Electronic Communications Network and Services. OJL 108/33, 24 April.
[31] Bradner, S. (1998). IETF Working Group Guidelines and Procedures. Network Working Group / Request for Comments: 2418. September 1998
[32] Wray, R., 2005. EU says Internet could fall apart. The Guardian. 12 October 2005.
[33] Marsden, Christopher T., 2008. Beyond Europe: The Internet, Regulation, and Multistakeholder Governance - Representing the Consumer Interest? Journal of Consumer Policy. March 2008, Volume 31, Issue 1: 115-132.
[34] Mueller, Milton, 2009. Top Internet Governance Issues to Watch in 2009. Internet Governance Project Blog. 09 Jan 2009. Available under http://blog.Internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2009/1/9/4051 237.html (27 Jamuary 2009)
[35] IGF, 2006. The Mandate of the IGF, Internet Governance Forum / Paragraph 72 of the WSIS Tunis Agenda. Available under http://www.intgovforum.org/mandate.htm (27 January 2009).
[36] Kumar, N. and Mowshowitz, A., "Increasing Internet access and freedoms with IGF participation," Technology and Society Magazine, IEEE , vol.27, no.2, pp.33-36, Summer 2008
[37] NYT, 2008. Editorial: Mr. Obama's Internet Agenda. New York Times. December 15, 2008
[38] Hardt, M. & Negri, A., 2000. Empire, Cambridge Mass.: Harvard University Press.
[39] Tapscott, Don and Williams, Anthony. 2007. Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything. Atlantic Books.