How naive can we be about the importance of information control for autocratic and totalitarian governments such as Russia and North Korea?
WSJ - The Internet Power Vacuum Worsens
“The Obama administration plan to give up U.S. protection of the open Internet won't take effect for a year, but authoritarian governments are already moving to grab control. President Obama is learning it's as dangerous for America to create a vacuum of power in the digital world as in the real one.”
Much of the blame for the splintering of the multistakeholder system lies with Mr. Obama's naïveté in putting Internet governance up for grabs. He underestimated the importance of Washington's control in maintaining an open Internet—and the desire among other governments to close the Internet. And there still is no plan to keep Icann free from control by governments.
CirlceID - Radical Shift of Power Proposed at ICANN Putting Govts in Primary Decision Making Role
ICANN is accepting public comments on this proposal until 14 September and reply comments until 6 October 2014 via the email address comments-bylaws-amend-gac-advice-15aug14@icann.org
Eurasia Review - ICANN and GAC Proposed By-law Changes Analysis
"I suspect that, the above perceptions, which have been long standing, could be the trigger to dilute the almost ’absolute powers’ of the ICANN board and make it more amenable to accept and implement any or all advice from the GAC. The attempt, in this proposed change of bylaw, could be an attempt to show that governments acting in concert through the GAC, finally have a more ’pertinent and forceful’ role and insulate itself from the supposedly unquestionable independent decisions of the ICANN board."
