Lecture 12: governing the global internet

Question 1

definition internet governance

Answer 1

the administration and design of the technologies that keep the Internet operational and the enactment of policy around these technologies

• focus on technical infrastructure
• how actors use these technologies

Question 2

brief history of the internet

Answer 2

• orginally, the internet wasn’t developed for commercial use
• state played limited role in the development
• mostly academics and engineers who had a lot of freedom (internet was to difficult for governments)
• decentralized and deterritorialized technology

Question 3

characteristics of hierarchies

Answer 3

• vertical: top down
• a structured mechanism of control designed to run large and complex organizations
• can be private or public

Question 4

characteristics of markets

Answer 4

• horizontal: all actors equal
• no conscious organizing centre directs the coordination
• governed by price mechanisms

Question 5

characteristics of networks

Answer 5

• in between hierarchies and markets
• informal practices of organization
• work trough loyalty, reciprocity and trust
• aim is to exploit complementary knowledge skills

Question 6

meaning critical internet resources

Answer 6

• elements that are critical for the stable functioning of the internet
• the names and numbers: ip numbers, domain names, root zone

Question 7

ICANN

Answer 7

• concerns the global domain name system (.com or .app)
• multistakeholder global governance
• brings together different actors who have a stake in specific issue
• governments play only an advisory role

Question 8

State vs global internet governance: what will it do?

Answer 8

One hand: internet operates global. free and open internet is a democratizing tool
Other hand: states seek to exert greater control over the inter (cybersovereignty like China and Russia)