Obama Surrenders the Internet

Don't look now but the "world community" is about to take control of the Internet.

The Obama administration has relinquished U.S. control of a system invented and developed by this nation, and up until now run under the concept that freedom of expression and capitalist development reigned.

... the fresh focus will give other countries a more prominent role in determining what takes place online, and even the way in which it happens – opening the door for a virtual United Nations, where many officials gather to discuss potential changes to the internet.

Icann chief Rod Beckstrom, a former Silicon Valley entrepreneur and Washington insider who took over running the organisation in July, said there had been legitimate concerns that some countries were developing alternative internets as a way of routing around American control.

[SNIP]

Beckstrom suggested that bringing more countries to the table was the best way of ensuring the long term future of the internet.

"We're more global, period. The chances of the internet holding together just went up, the cohesion just went up," he said. "We expect more active involvement from governments, a higher level of participation from many governments and we're already hearing about more governments joining the team… This was, ironically, a power move from the US."

Power move?

That remains to be seen. From here it smells more like surrender.

To a "virtual" United Nations, no less.

Without a shot.