PRESS: Russia wants global Internet control system revised

MOSCOW, Mar 27 (PRIME) -- Russia finds the existing model of global Internet management illegitimate and will strive to expand the government’s role in decision making, presidential aide Igor Shchyogolev said in an interview with RBC.

“We insist on having the government’s role precisely stipulated and not reduced only to an advisory one,” Shchyogolev said.

Russia wants the system of decision making at the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to be revised.

ICANN had been governed by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), a unit of the U.S. Department of Commerce, until October 1, 2016, when the administrator’s rights were handed over to ICAAN’s unit, Public Technical Identifiers (PTI), a California-based non-commercial corporation for public interest.

Its Chairman Steve Crocker said earlier that a model of management, where all voices, including those of business, scientists, technical experts and the public, are taken into account, is the best way to keep the Internet of tomorrow unbiased.

Shchyogolev said, however, that the reform has not improved the situation. “Before that, itwould have been at least possible to file a complaint to the U.S. government if something went wrong. Now it’s sort of an autonomous or non-commercial organization, which simply works under the U.S. law. American officials can say, ‘We’ve nothing to do with that. Go to California and sue the guys.

“Questions will emerge all the time on how the Internet is managed and what happens to it. Countries will be forced to look for technical and legal solutions, which protect them in this situation.”

Russia could exert pressure on the international community thanks to a bill created by the Communications and Mass Media Ministry, on the Russian segment of the Internet. “Foreign colleagues will understand that there are processes in the world that will, perhaps, make them think of a true reform of global Internet management,” Shchyogolev said.

The bill describes critical infrastructure and its main components with an idea of creating a special state information system to maintain integrity and security of the Internet in the country.

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