

In a recent article to Politico Magazine, Truman Fellow Katherine Maher explains how the US Dept. of Commerce decision to globalize part of it's oversight of the Internet to the global community is actually designed to protect the freedom of the Internet.


The announcement was met with thunderous disapproval from top Republicans, who swiftly accused the White House of “giving up control” of the Internet. This widely circulated Newt Gingrich tweet being just one example: [See full article].

Hold on a minute.

Putting aside the fact that no one actually “controls” the Internet—it is regulated and governed by a patchwork of jurisdictions, technical advisory groups and voluntary bodies—this announcement definitely doesn’t reflect a global takeover. U.N. black helicopters aren’t coming for your servers.

So what just happened? A smart, strategic move by Commerce to formalize, on its own terms, a process of increased globalization that has been going on for some time.

Read the full article.