[lac-discuss-en] EU Commissioner for Information Society and Media calls for full privatisation and full accountability of ICANN

[Trinidad and Tobago Computer Society]

In a video posted on her website this morning, Viviane Reding, EU- 
Commissioner for Information Society and Media, called for greater 
transparency and accountability in Internet Governance as of October 
2009. Key decisions related to Internet Governance, like top level 
domains and managing the internet's core directory, are currently made 
by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), a 
private not-for profit corporation established in California. So far, 
ICANN has been operating under an agreement with the US Department of 
Commerce. However, this agreement expires on 30 September this year.

For the time after, Commissioner Reding today outlined a new governance 
model for the internet. This would include a fully private and 
accountable ICANN, accompanied by an independent judicial body, as well 
as a "G12 for Internet Governance" – a multilateral forum for 
governments to discuss general internet governance policy and security 
issues.

Related links

press release (English)
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/09/696&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

press release (Spanish)
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/09/696&format=HTML&aged=0&language=ES&guiLanguage=en

Video (English) : 
http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/reding/video/index_en.htm

Transcript (English)
http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/reding/video/text/message_20090504.pdf