Obama to Cede US Control of Internet Backbone Tonight. Will It Matter?

By Rachel Alexander

For 20 years, the US has maintained loose control over ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, which regulates the backbone of the internet. A California-based nonprofit created in 1998 by the US government and composed of citizens from multiple countries, ICANN manages “root zone files,” which make up the internet’s address book.

Now the US is giving up its supervisory role, a decision by President Obama that risks letting countries like Russia, China and Iran change what citizens in other countries can read. .......Without a check on its power by the US, ICANN may be susceptible to influence by nations like Russia, China and Iran which want to censor and control the web. Those countries already censor the internet within their borders. Paul Rosenzweig, a visiting fellow at The Heritage Foundation and professor with expertise in cyber security, explained, “It will not be ‘control’ for China and Russia, but it will be significantly more influence.........It’s not just conservatives like Cruz who are concerned about the transfer. FCC board member Michael O’Rielly, an Obama appointee, said earlier this month, “I have grave concerns that one or more foreign governments would be able to unduly influence or control the new ICANN.” ........Additionally, there has been talk over the years of moving ICANN over underneath UN control. Shortly after ICANN was created, the UN formed a Working Group on Internet Governance “to investigate and make proposals for action … on the governance of Internet.” .......Full Story

My Take - Supporters of this action claim ICANN's not responsible for regulating internet content.  However, as the author points out......."nothing prevents them from doing so".  And the question I have is simple.  Is the internet broken?  Apparently the answer is ....NO....it isn't.  So if there's nothing to fix,  why are there so many countries demanding to change what's being done?  If there's no need to change anything why make this change?  Make no mistake about this.  The U.N. will eventually take control, they will start charging fees for internet use, and they will control content, and make no mistake about this.  Once it's out of America's hands.....it can't ever be brought back. 

In spite of the fact Obama has violated the law in how he's doing this there are almost no legislators demanding this be stopped, nor is there an outcry from industry.  

Once this is internationally controlled cencorship is bound to follow, technical innovation will be thwarted and taxes - known as fees - will be imposed.  What will happen when a Jihadist dominated anti- Israel U.N. decides Isreal shouldn't be allowed to participate in any intenet activity?   

Today will be another day that will live in infamy!