EU Calls For Full Privatization of ICANN, Commissioner Calls Sept 30 Moment of Truth

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EU Calls For Full Privatization of ICANN, Commissioner Calls Sept 30 Moment of Truth

By CircleID Reporter
May 04, 2009, 2:56 pm PDT Views: 13,628 Comments: 3

In a video posted on her website this morning, Viviane Reding, EU Commissioner for Information Society and Media, has called for greater transparency and accountability in Internet Governance. She outlines a new Internet Governance model which includes a fully private and accountable ICANN, accompanied by an independent judicial body, as well as a “G12 for Internet Governance”—a multilateral forum for governments to discuss general internet governance policy and security issues.

Reding says: “A moment of truth will come on 30 September this year, when the current agreement between ICANN and the US Government expires. This opens the door for the full privatization of ICANN; and it also raises the question of to whom ICANN should be accountable, as from 1 October. ... I trust that President Obama will have the courage, the wisdom and the respect for the global nature of the internet to pave the way in September for a new, more accountable, more transparent, more democratic and more multilateral form of Internet Governance. The time to act is now. And Europe will be ready to support President Obama in his efforts.”

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Comments

Power grab R. Meyer – May 5, 2009 5:41 PM

And, who would benefit from this transfer of power?
She would.

I will bet you a euro that she will volunteer to be chairman of the G12.

Reding quote -
” I trust that President Obama will have the courage, the wisdom and the respect for the global nature of the internet “
Amateurish diplomatic statement.

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After the mess these fools made of .eu ccTLD? John McCormac – May 9, 2009 3:36 PM

Given the mess these fools in the European Commission made of .eu ccTLD, I hardly think that they are in any position to comment on internet governance.

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EU Call for transparency Howard Hoyt – May 25, 2009 7:04 PM

Dunno, seems to me they might make it answerable to the public and reign in rogue registrars.
Doubt if EU would have made this call if US had spawned a competent agency- or at least one answerable to the public.
The system is in bad need of reform. If nothing else the EU call may get the Dept of Commerce to pay more attention to what they spawned.

My biggest concern about EU would be that things might be so de-centralized that the present ICANN could become even MORE toothless than it already is.

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