Legislation recently introduced by Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.) would prevent the Obama administration from shifting oversight of critical Internet functions to a multi-stakeholder model.
The Global Internet Freedom Act would prevent recent steps taken by the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration to implement a multi-stakeholder model to oversee the domain names system.
The NTIA instructed the International Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers to explore ways to begin considering options to remove the United States from its domain names system oversight role.
“As Americans, we value our constitutional right of freedom of speech and have promoted this value throughout the world,” Duffy said. “We should not give up our stewardship of the Internet so that the United Nations or countries like China or Russia, that do not hold free speech in the same regard, can have the opportunity to take control.”
Duffy’s bill would prohibit the assistant secretary of commerce for communications and information from relinquishing NTIA’s responsibilities to coordinate the assignment of technical Internet protocol parameters and administrative functions associated with the domain name system.
Earlier this month, Department of Commerce Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information Lawrence Strickling said it’s the right time to undertake a multi-stakeholder oversight model.
“We look forward to ICANN convening stakeholders across the global Internet community to craft an appropriate transition plan,” Strickling said.