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Lecture 3 - Internet Governance

The document discusses several key aspects of internet governance: 1) It covers both the technical administration of internet infrastructure as well as broader public policy issues like content regulation. 2) While some governance is set nationally, many issues require international cooperation due to the global nature of the internet. 3) Organizations like ICANN, IETF, ITU, and WIPO all play roles in the international administration and standards-setting of the internet. 4) Governance arrangements involve the exercise of power over critical internet resources and technical protocols that many not be visible to the public.

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48 views

Lecture 3 - Internet Governance

The document discusses several key aspects of internet governance: 1) It covers both the technical administration of internet infrastructure as well as broader public policy issues like content regulation. 2) While some governance is set nationally, many issues require international cooperation due to the global nature of the internet. 3) Organizations like ICANN, IETF, ITU, and WIPO all play roles in the international administration and standards-setting of the internet. 4) Governance arrangements involve the exercise of power over critical internet resources and technical protocols that many not be visible to the public.

Uploaded by

antara nodi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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MCJ 401: Communication and

Information Technologies

Seventh Semester 2022

Mass Communication and Journalism


University of Dhaka
Topic: Internet Governance
Governance

• Monitoring?

• Control?

• Regulation?

• Management/administration?
Governance

: to officially control and lead (a group of people)

: to make decisions about laws, taxes, social programs, etc., for (a country,
state, etc.)

: to control the way that (something) is done

: to control or guide the actions of (someone or something)


-- Merriam-Webster dictionary
Internet Governance

• The rapid growth in internet use poses challenges for


existing policies on its administration and regulation.

• ‘Internet governance’ covers a broad range of subjects,


from technical administration to wider public policy issues
such as content regulation.
Internet Governance

• Although the Internet is a global network, many policies are set nationally.

• Examples: National ICT Policy (2009) of Bangladesh, Broadband Policy (2004) of India, etc.

• Regulation of the Internet by national ICT acts or ordinances (Example: Digital


Security Act of Bangladesh) )

• Shutting off the Internet by executive orders


• Examples: shutting off Youtube, Facebook, Viber, Whatsapp, etc.
• Rugulated internet of China.
Internet Governance

• However, people accessed Facebook through alternative means.

• Some decisions require international co-operation. For example,


deletion of content from Youtube.

• There is debate over which issues comprise Internet Governance, as


well as appropriate policy structures.

• According to many people, the Internet should not be governed at


all.
Internet Governance and IGF

• The discussion on Internet Governance gained momentum after the UN-led World
Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), held in two stages in 2003 and 2005.

• Its intent was to discuss the creation of a ‘global information society’ through
increasing access to information and communication technologies, including the
Internet.

• One of the key outcomes was the establishment of the Internet Governance Forum
or IGF.

• It was convened for “multi-stakeholder policy dialogue” between governments,


industry and civil society.
Internet Governance as Technical infrastructure and administration

• Data transmission and networking can occur between computers connected by a physical
infrastructure of optical fibres, cable networks, telephone lines, satellites or wireless links.

• The Internet uses the Domain Name System (DNS) to allow computers to identify each
other.

• To connect to the Internet, each computer requires a unique numerical label called an IP
address.

• IP addresses are matched to memorable labels called domain names, stored in a global
database.
• It is convenient to think of IP addresses as the actual code and the
domain name as a nickname for that code.

• A typical IP address looks like a string of numbers. It could be


232.17.43.22, for example.

• However, humans cannot understand or use that code.


• The domain name is a part of the URL, which points to the IP
address.
Internet Governance: Technical infrastructure and administration

• Instead of typing the IP address 194.60.38.75, to connect to the computer that hosts the
British parliamentary website, the domain name www.parliament.uk is used.

• Domain names generally follow the format www.xxxxx.yyy

• .yyy refers to a top level domain. This can be either a generic Top Level Domain such as
‘.com’ or ‘.org’ or a country code Top Level Domain such as ‘.bd’ for Bangladesh and
‘.uk’ for the UK.

• .xxxxx refers to a second level domain such as ‘.parliament’, ‘.co’ or ‘.google’.


• Additional subdomains, such as www. can be used to the left.
Internet Governance: International Administration

• There are a wide range of organisations involved in the international administration of the
Internet.

• the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), a US not-for-profit
organisation, administers the allocation of domain names and IP addresses.

• the Internet Society (ISOC), an international membership organisation, responsible


through groups such as the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) for developing
internet technical standards.
• the World Wide Web Consortium develops technical standards and guidelines for the
World Wide Web.
Internet Governance: International Administration

• the International Telecommunications Union (ITU): UN agency


responsible for a wide range of telecommunication matters, including
technical standards and development activities.

• The World Intellectual Property Organisation: Oversees the issues of


copyright and intellectual property right on the Internet.
Internet Governance: Role of ICANN

• Until 1998, the DNS and IP address allocation was administered at the University of South
California on behalf of the US government.

• Subsequently ICANN was created to assume this role, on which US Department of


Commerce has much influence.

• It also delegates the running of top level domains to various organisations. For instance, US
company Verisign maintains ‘.net’ and ‘.com’.

• The ability to award such contracts has generated controversy, due to competition concerns.
Internet Governance as Regulation of Content

• There is concern that internet content requires stricter regulation.

• Some argue that this is not practicable since the Internet is a global, open
environment.

• National governments locally impose restriction on access to internet


content by laws or executive orders.
Internet Governance: Power Politics

• The arrangements of technical architecture are inherently arrangements of power.

• The Internet has a complex technical architecture beneath the layer of applications and
content and generally out of public view.

• This architecture includes Internet governance technologies, meaning the digital systems and
processes inherently designed to keep the Internet operational.

• Some of these technologies and processes include Internet technical protocols; critical
Internet resources (CIRs) such as Internet protocol (IP) addresses, domain names, and
autonomous system numbers (ASNs); the Internet’s domain name system (DNS).

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