Why accountability and transparency need to be ICANN’s number one priority

[Commentary] This week’s 53rd public meeting of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has been focused on the review of the accumulation of months of work on two different paths that are crossing over each other in the ICANN world: the transition of the IANA functions and the effort to improve ICANN accountability and transparency. The accountability issue deserves most of our attention, as it will have implications for how (and whether) the transition issue will be resolved. The decisions being discussed at ICANN impact all of us because they will have a profound impact on the underpinnings of the global economy, which depend on networks functioning effectively and efficiently without fear of capture, corruption, or lack of compliance with the agreed-upon rules.

Internet governance brings with it a natural set of challenges and implications for freedom of expression, privacy, trade, cyber security, and even the nature of sovereignty in a globally-connected world. ICANN needs to be a place of trust and transparency where the world can see that all decisions are made out in the open by all of the stakeholders who play important roles in managing the global networks that comprise the Internet.

[Shane Tews is the Chief Policy Officer at 463 Communications]