ICANN and the problem of legitimacy.(Internet Corporation for Assigned Names)(Governance of the Internet)

Duke Law Journal, October, 2000 by Weinberg, Jonathan

ABSTRACT

Two years ago, an entity called the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) was formed to take control of the Internet's infrastructure of domain name and IP address identifiers. Private parties formed ICANN at the behest of the U.S. government; the government is currently using its considerable resources to cement ICANN's authority over the domain name space. ICANN's role is one generally played in our society by public entities. It is setting rules for an international communications medium of surpassing importance. That task had historically been performed by a U.S. government contractor in an explicitly public-regarding manner. ICANN is addressing important public policy issues. Further, it is implementing some of its choices...

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