What is ICANN?
It is a non-profit body founded in 1988 that administrates domain names and Internet protocol addresses (IPs) globally
| Q | A |
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| What it does? | To reach another person on the Internet, a user has to type an address into his or her computer — either a name or a number. That address has to be unique, so computers know where to find each other. ICANN coordinates these unique identifiers across the world. Without that coordination, having one global, connected Internet would not be possible. |
| Why is it in news? | In September, Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is slated to become independent from the US Department of Commerce on September 30, after a two-decade long slugfest for decentralisation of its control. The ICANN will now be governed by a “multi-stakeholder” model, including businesses, individual users and members of governments across the world. |
| User impact? | While work is in progress to set rules on who should manage the Internet post September 30, the transition is unlikely to affect how users interact online. It will, however, shift the technical supervision of the online address system to ICANN itself, with a system that ensures no single entity can exert control over the Internet. |
| India’s position? | While ICANN will now be governed by a “multi-stakeholder” model, including businesses, individual users, India’s push for a multi-stakeholder model envisages a pivotal role for governments as the custodian of cyberspace in the wake of security threats from terror groups. India has described the role of the government as “an important stakeholder” and “a custodian of security” for the global Internet infrastructure. India’s proposal, as enunciated in Marrakesh, is that the Internet should be managed through the multi-stakeholder approach, and that governments should have “supreme right and control” on matters relating to international security. India in its submission has said that under the new transition, the body managing the Internet should have “accountability towards governments” in areas where “governments have primary responsibility, such as security and similar public policy concerns”. |
WORD FROM TEAM GS-SCORE –
| Relevant for |
In September, Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is slated to become independent. |
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| For further detail | Science and technology of GS:3 |
| For further detail | Refer article titled “Soon, the Net will be free of US control, have new governors. In new ICANN, who can?” from Indian express dated march 21, 2016 |