[ALSC-Forum] Self-regulation and ICANN

[Mikael Pawlo]

(This message was originally written for another forum, but I was asked to
post it here as well. It is taken out of context, but is a response in
respect of the question of At-Large membership.)

Self-regulation - I'm all for it. However, the need for this global effort
and the need to keep the Internet from governmental interests escapes me.
If we indeed need such a global organization, why not use one already
created, with participation from governments (or create something similar
if the ICANN function can not be implemented in for example the UN). The
governmental structure creates accountability and transparancy and
international representation - fundamentals ICANN needs to deal with and
solve.

David Goldstone, a lawyer with the US department of justice, gave some
interesting thoughts on a symposium on Internet regulation and policy with
the New York University (printed in NYU Journal of Legislation and Public
Policy, vol 3 no 1). Goldstone compares the Internet to cars and states
that a technique that was truly a change of paradigms a hundred years ago
has been regulated in a satisfactory fashion and thus we now have both
airbags and traffic regulation.

Goldstone states (p 49): "As they have demonstrated with automotive
regulation, the American people, through their representatives, are fully
competent to balance personal liberty against public safety." 

Best Regards

Mikael Pawlo

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