ICANN (the body which oversees the internet) has requested the US Government to be released from an agreement signed 10 years ago which makes them answerable to the US Department of Commerce.
If the request is granted it may pave the way for the internet to be run by the private sector.
ICANN's responsibilities include running what is known the 'domain name system' (DNS) and the 13 'root servers' which are the most important hubs for internet traffic.
I am happy with the way ICANN is run for the last couple decades. Freeing ICANN to the private sector means freeing it up to get gobbled by verizon, cisco, times warner brothers and sony.
Even if ICANN still remains NOT for-profit. You WILL pay tons just to see your email if that happens. You just will not pay it to ICANN. You will pay it to whoever owns ICANN.
I don't think ICANN will ever be controlled by a private company. Even if it is, the only thing ICANN can do is raise the price of domains. Companies like MS or goog can easily absorb this. If they decide to charge the ISPs, i dont think i am gonna be paying more than a dollar or two.
"Even if ICANN still remains NOT for-profit. You WILL pay tons just to see your email if that happens. You just will not pay it to ICANN. You will pay it to whoever owns ICANN." can u plz explain how.
Evox, I am assuming you want me to describe a reasonable scenario in which ICANN can be exploited by private sector handlers.
"The tasks of ICANN include managing the assignment of domain names and IP addresses."
So here is a scenario: A top level domain will be created that only certain Subnets can access. Giving control to some companies over the gateways into the top levels or vice versa.
Here is another scenario: Making the Subnets so expensive and the qualifications to get an IP so ridiculous that you almost have to be a multi-national just to qualify.
Here is another Scenario: Blacklisting Subnets that engage in software sharing.
Do not forget that Sony already used the Patriot act, to go after people selling mod chips. Sony claimed they were terrorists! For years Sony tried to use the available laws to shut those sites and the available laws protected the sale of 3rd party chips. But when Sony found their loophole in the patriot act, they did not hesitate to use it, they just labeled the operators of the site as statutory terrorists. So I have no qualms about how far a Sony will go to get what it want.
