School of Public Policy Professor Milton Mueller recently co-authored an article with Technology Policy Associate Joe Kane that was featured on the Brookings Institution website. In the article, Dr. Mueller and Mr. Kane discuss National Telecommunications and Information (NTIA) Administrator David Redl’s promise to assemble a panel of experts to consider options for reversing the 2016 transition that ended U.S. government control of ICANN and the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA). They note that Senator Ted Cruz held up Redl’s nomination as administrator for NTIA because he was dissatisfied with Redl’s answers on the transition. ICANN is a non-profit internet governance organization.

Dr. Mueller and Mr. Kane argue that the IANA transition was the correct decision and reversing it would not be in the best interests of the United States. The IANA transition has led to dramatic improvements in ICANN’s accountability and governance. Additionally, U.S. influence could be undermined if they reverse the IANA transition.  They make the case if the U.S. wants to be the leader in halting authoritarian regimes’ efforts to exert greater control over the internet, they must continue to uphold the principle of multi-stakeholder governance by non-state actors.  

See Dr. Mueller's article here: https://www.brookings.edu/blog/techtank/2018/02/07/u-s-government-shoul…;