Happy birthday ICANN?

It is nine years since ICANN – the ‘global’ agency that oversees the system of internet addresses – was set up. Since then it has been the subject of significant controversy, which came to a head last year when the European Union put pressure on the United States to decentralise ICANN’s powers.

So what’s happened since? Well, despite its global remit ICANN is still registered as a non-profit organisation in Los Angeles. But recent efforts by civil society organisations and other governments are gradually forcing ICANN to be more open and transparent. For example, there’s now an online survey for public users to say just what we think about it.

The trials and tribulations of ICANN illustrate the challenges of trying to develop a suitable governance framework to manage our global internet architecture. Political and geographic boundaries are increasingly blurred, and the influence of those making profits from the industry adds another layer of complexity.

That’s why civil society organisations must be granted official status in ICANN's decision-making processes. Only then will the internet have a chance of surviving as a genuine ‘public good’.

> download Panos London's briefing about ICANN