DOTCOM Act Could Slow IANA Transition Process

The House Commerce Committee’s vote to recommend the DOTCOM Act to the full House for approval has the potential of slowing the transition of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) function to the global multistakeholder community.

The i2Coalition believes that this transition, if given the opportunity to be handled properly by the multistakeholder community unencumbered by US political gamesmanship, will lead to a more vibrant global economy and a stronger Internet. The DOTCOM Act is harmful to the future of the Internet and the economy that relies on Internet growth.

The IANA transition process should be allowed to move forward without delay, and this decision is clearly a disappointment. The global Internet governance process stands at a critical point. Though the IANA functions are little more than an administrative task, they have become a core symbol behind an idea that the US government exerts undue influence over Internet decision-making worldwide.

The global perception of the NSA’s data collection programs has impeded global adoption of the cloud, with businesses worldwide making decisions based on where data is located instead of on a technical or operational basis. The transition of the IANA function to the multistakeholder community has the potential to disarm much of the global criticism levied against the way the Internet is currently governed, which is a positive thing for an economy that relies upon the free and open Internet that multistakeholderism enables.

Stubbornly holding on to the IANA functions serves little purpose for the United States, and has the potential of doing real harm to the already badly bruised US Internet image. By allowing the transition process to proceed as scheduled, Congress can disarm many of the critics who are angling for a replacement of the multistakeholder approach to Internet governance. Abandoning or significantly weakening the multistakeholder model of Internet governance can lead to a fractured global Internet, reduced economic growth, and a threat to free speech throughout much of the world.


DOTCOM Act Could Slow IANA Transition Process