Oversight body for Internet facing key test

NEW YORK -- The Internet's key oversight body is facing its most critical test ever, with decisions expected later this month likely to shape the global network for years to come.

Though relatively few Internet users are even aware of the group, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers has broad influence over the Net's addressing system -- and thus over how people find Web sites and send e-mail.

Frustrated with endless debates, chief executive Stuart Lynn has proposed a major overhaul of ICANN to streamline how its board makes decisions.

But critics complain that such efficiency would come at the expense of fairness to individuals and noncommercial interests.

Under the proposal, at-large board members would no longer be elected by the general Internet community but by an internal committee.

Sound undemocratic?

"It's the Mussolini model," said Hans Klein, chairman of Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility. "If you just hand over the global information infrastructure to 12 guys who meet once in a while, whatever they decide will be implemented very quickly."

Congress paying attention

Fourteen civic groups, led by the Media Access Project, are even calling for the U.S. government to reconsider its 1998 selection of ICANN as a private, nonprofit organization to take over responsibilities for domain names.

They want the Commerce Department to reopen the bidding process to determine if a competing organization might do a better job. Others have called for splitting up ICANN.

Meanwhile, Congress is paying closer attention. A Senate committee held hearings Wednesday. And Congress' investigative arm has questioned ICANN's legitimacy and effectiveness.

What the board does at its meeting in Bucharest, Romania, June 24-28 could determine whether procedural squabbles end once and for all.

Longtime Internet users have accused ICANN of being beholden to corporate interests, while administrators of domain names around the world have balked at paying dues to the U.S.-based organization.

Critics accuse ICANN of being secretive and untrustworthy because it sometimes abruptly reverses course -- for example, the board rejected elections in March after promising years earlier to fill seats that way.

ICANN also drew complaints for extending the role of VeriSign Inc. as master-keeper of lucrative ".com" names. The deal was negotiated behind-the-scenes, without notice that talks were even going on.

And one ICANN board member, Karl Auerbach, is suing over access to records.

The Commerce Department must decide by September whether to renew or amend an agreement that gives ICANN its authority.

Commerce is not likely to abandon ICANN completely, but Lynn himself says the original goal of leaving the Net in private hands has proved unworkable.

Lynn has thus called for scrapping direct election of board members and giving the world's governments a greater role in selecting them. The body could then tackle quickly such pressing matters as improving security of key Internet infrastructure.

ICANN's detractors complain that the organization has been too slow and meddlesome on such matters as creating new domain names.

Some believe ICANN shouldn't decide at all what domains to allow.

Critics also fear ICANN's mission will gradually expand further -- perhaps one day regulating content, despite the current board's insistence otherwise.