During the past couple of months there has been an argument raging between world governments over who will control the "root" servers of the Internet. Currently, the United States controls these servers through the nonprofit Internet Corporation established by the Department of Commerce. Furthermore, the Internet Corporation is responsible for running the Domain Name System, which allows Internet users to type in a web address using an alphabetical name, and not the numerical IP address.
We vehemently oppose the proposition that control of the Internet be placed in the hands of other governments. Our entire campus is heavily dependent on the Internet. Academics and students alike need to be sure they have a reliable way of getting quick, useful information. A world council governing the Internet does not assure those things.
On Oct. 6, The Guardian newspaper reported in "Breaking America's Grip on the Net" that the governments of several countries, including Brazil, Cuba, Iran and the European Union, believe it is time to "end unilateral U.S. control of the internet." According to the article, these governments argue the Internet has become a critical aspect of their basic government infrastructures, and as such the question of who controls it is of great concern. For example, Brazil relies on the Internet for collecting approximately 90 percent of its taxes. According to The Guardian, these countries would prefer a "cooperation model," made of several governments that would be in overall control.
The United States has several concerns regarding the establishment of a world council to govern the Internet. In particular, other governments have not proven their commitment to freedom of speech and have sub-par human rights records. Because of this, legitimate questions have arisen concerning how these governments will use the opportunity to control the Internet.
The Bush Administration has balked at these demands, and refuses to accept any changes to the current system. Members of Congress from both parties appear to support the president's position. Lawmakers in the House of Representatives and Senate have introduced bills that would maintain U.S. control. We must maintain control of the Internet in order to continue providing the world public with a cohesive, high-speed information highway.
According to the Internet Corporation's Web site, it takes into consideration the needs of other governments by allowing citizens of other countries to be on its board of directors. For instance, the board has included individuals from Brazil, China, France, Germany, Ghana, Japan and Kenya, to name a few. This demonstrates that the United States has no intention of undermining other governments through the Internet.
The issue is expected to come to a head during the November U.N. summit meeting in Tunisia. According to an article written by Andy Sullivan for Reuters news service on Oct. 21, "if a settlement is not reached, internet users in different parts of the globe could potentially wind up at different Web sites when they type an address into their browser." This will undoubtedly hinder the smooth transmission of information between people of different countries that many rely on, especially for students and academics who access the Internet on a daily basis.
This editorial was published in The Marquette Tribune on October 27, 2005.