ICANN Resources

Radio's Lessons for the Internet:
It was not at all clear how, or even if, corporations could own or manage [it]. It seemed that [this medium] might be the truly democratic, decentralized communication technology people had yearned for, a device each individual would control and use whenever he or she wanted, without tolls.
From Susan Douglas's book Inventing American Broadcasting: 1899-1922, and quoted in Radio's Lessons for the Internet by Eszter Hargittai.)

Support democracy in Internet Governance else the Internet's fate may be the same as radio's.

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
    - Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 19

     


ICANNnot.org · Andy Bloch's parody and critique of ICANN

Updated on March 14, 2002!

Watch The ICANN Movie
by Kendall Dawson
ICANN Movie

ICANN news:

March, 2002: Major structural changes for ICANN are being discussed, and things don't look too good for democracy in Internet governance. Stuart Lynn, ICANN's current president and CEO, has proposed a new structure that would eliminate public elections for ICANN board seats and result in a board with self-perpetuating powers. (Internet users were originally supposed to elect 9 ICANN board members; however, elections have been held for only 5, and Lynn's proposal would kill elections completely.)

Meanwhile, members of the U.S. Congress want to schedule hearings to investigate ICANN and oversee the changes. Read the March 14th Wired news article.

Visit ICANNwatch and the Internet Democracy Project regularly for up-to-date ICANN information and commentary.

Why this website?    Read the history of ICANNnot.org


The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) claims to be merely "a technical coordination body for the Internet." ICANN was created in 1998 to transfer control over certain central Internet administrative functions from the United States government to a "private-sector" non-governmental organization.

ICANN has assumed responsibility for coordinating the assignment of Internet domain names, IP address numbers, protocol parameters, and protocol port numbers, and the operation of the Internet's root server system.

ICANN is ostensibly a non-profit corporation organized under California law. However, ICANN has attempted to escape from many of the provisions of California law protecting members right, through an apparent loophole in California law. Furthermore, although ICANN itself is non-profit, ICANN policy making has promoted for-profit interests over the interests of the majority of internet users.