Viewing Where the Internet Goes

A Q&A with Drs Vinton Cerf and Robert Kahn.

The Internet’s global reach that made classified documents available to Edward J. Snowden -- and made it so easy for him to distribute them to news organizations. Yet the Internet also made possible widespread surveillance, a practice that alarmed Snowden and triggered his plan to steal and publicly release the information. With the Snowden affair starkly highlighting the issues, the new year is likely to see renewed calls to change the way the Internet is governed. In particular, governments that do not favor the free flow of information, especially if it’s through a system designed by Americans, would like to see the Internet regulated in a way that would “Balkanize” it by preventing access to certain websites. The debate right now involves two international organizations, usually known by their acronyms, with different views: ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, and the ITU (International Telecommunication Union).

[Dec 31]