2016-06-29

Hillary Clinton Endorses Obama's IANA Stewardship Transition, Reaction

Hillary Clinton's Initiative on Technology & Innovation  https://www.hillaryclinton.com/briefing/factsheets/2016/06/27/hillary-clintons-initiative-on-technology-innovation/ [Note that Clinton does not mention explicitly "ICANN" nor "IANA" but her reference to "transition" is clearly a reference to the IANA transition]:
"Promote Multi-Stakeholder Internet Governance: Hillary believes that internet governance – the coordination of the technical systems that allow the internet to function seamlessly across the globe – should be left to the global community of engineers, companies, civil society groups, and internet users, and not to governments. That is why as Secretary of State she championed the “multistakeholder approach” to internet governance and vigorously fought back against efforts by national governments to control the internet through government-led multilateral organizations, such as the International Telecommunications Union. She supports the Department of Commerce’s plans to formally transition its oversight role in the management of the Domain Name System to the global community of stakeholders*, viewing the transition as a critical step towards safeguarding the internet’s openness for future generations. She will continue to fight to defend the internet from government takeover and to empower those internet governance organizations that advance internet openness, freedom, and technical innovation." (emphasis added)
*The term "global community of stakeholders" a/k/a "global multistakeholder community" a/k/a "global internet community" as used here just means ICANN, a California corporation controlled by the domain name industry and other special interests (lobbyists and lawyers), which is neither reflective of, nor representative of, the values and interests of the real global multistakeholder community. For example, the vast majority of domain name registrants (who fund most of ICANN's budget via fees charged for each domain name registration and renewal) have no stakeholder group representation within ICANN's main policy-making body known as the Generic Names Supporting Organization or GNSO. ICANN stakeholders have acknowledged the GNSO is "broken" and there is a "massive power imbalance" within ICANN. That was one of the main reasons the ICANN Board of Directors rejected all proposals for a membership model for ICANN in the course of the IANA transition and ICANN accountability (WS1) planning process: see Why the ICANN Board Does NOT Support the Single Member Model | DomainMondo.com (2 Oct 2015): "... A recommendation requiring a substantial governance restructuring will suggest that ICANN is currently broken -- a politically risky message going into the transition ..." 

Akram Atallah, the current President of the money-making arm of ICANN, known as the "Global Domains Division," has even said new gTLD registry operators are the "customers" of ICANN, and his crony, former ICANN President & CEO Fadi Chehade, said ICANN is a "partner" of the for-profit new gTLDs domain name industry and its lobbyist organization. 

The IANA Transition has now become a fully "politicized" issue in U.S. politics, with the Obama administration and the Democratic presumptive nominee, Hillary Clinton, pushing the IANA transition, while Republicans in Congress are questioning whether the transition, as proposed, is premature, unconstitutional, or illegal. Meanwhile, Donald Trump's position, as the Republican presumptive nominee, is unknown, although he may be in an awkward position since his campaign's legal counsel is Jones Day, the same law firm that also represents ICANN, see Jones Day: Helping Donald Trump To Make America Great Again | AboveTheLaw.com.

Reference:
For more on use of the term "Global Multistakeholder Community" as a misnomer and false narrative by ICANN, NTIA, and the Obama administration to "package & sell" the IANA transition, see: News Review [24Apr2016]: ICANN Bylaws, Comments, ICANN Chairman's Op-ed Flops | DomainMondo.com.

 One reaction to Hillary Clinton's endorsement of the IANA transition:

 Where this may all lead:

Caveat Emptor.

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