Preserving Internet Unity: ICANN President Warns Against Fragmentation Amid Global Challenges

Sally Costerton, President of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), sheds light on the delicate nature of the internet’s interconnected infrastructure, cautioning against attempts to regulate or fragment it. In an exclusive interview during the Web Summit 2023 in Lisbon, Costerton underscores the vital role of the internet’s invisible framework and the inherent risks associated with any move to compartmentalize its global structure.

In Costerton’s analogy, the internet resembles a multifaceted house filled with various rooms and contents, with the invisible infrastructure serving as the backbone—comprising cables, servers, routers, satellites, and more. Despite this complexity, users interact primarily with domain names, the gateways to websites. ICANN’s core responsibility is coordinating the technical intricacies that ensure users can seamlessly access desired sites, exemplified by typing “Al Jazeera.net.”

Costerton emphasizes the internet’s unity, where users worldwide can expect the same outcome when entering a website’s name. The danger, she argues, lies in the temptation to fragment this intricate 30-year-old system, built on trust and a multi-stakeholder approach involving global contributors in policy decisions.

Two distinct risks loom over the internet’s future. The first centers on governments seeking to regulate specific content, driven by concerns about parts of the internet they cannot oversee. This poses a threat to the internet’s operational interconnectivity, as ICANN relies on a cooperative, multi-stakeholder process.

The second risk emerges from entities challenging the multi-stakeholder model, advocating for governments to solely dictate rules for managing internet infrastructure. Costerton warns that such a shift could potentially erase the internet’s 5.6 billion users.

Acknowledging that these risks stem from geopolitical complexities, Costerton stresses that the internet is not designed to adhere to national borders. Attempts to exert control jeopardize the operational interoperability and flexibility that safeguard the internet’s core.

When discussing Web 3.0, Costerton recognizes the internet’s rapid evolution. While a 30-year-old business idea, new technologies like artificial intelligence continuously reshape its landscape. She underscores the internet’s resilience, with the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) playing a pivotal role in ensuring seamless data movement across networks.

Regarding content bias on certain platforms, Costerton clarifies that content-related matters are intrinsically tied to individual site and platform editorial policies. Meta and Google, for instance, enable users to express opinions according to their established rules, a responsibility not falling under ICANN’s purview.

Costerton concludes by emphasizing that as internet content proliferates, governments face increasing challenges in resisting the allure of regulatory fragmentation. ICANN’s ongoing mission revolves around engaging with governments, encouraging collaboration, and leveraging the organization’s technical expertise.

Preserving Internet Unity: ICANN President Warns Against Fragmentation Amid Global Challenges

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