Contesting Internet governance: global dissent and disparities in the management of cyberspace resources

Abstract

This article explores Internet governance in depth, focusing on the emerging global controversy surrounding the multijurisdictional regulation of the Net's core technical infrastructure. Cyberspace regulatory inequities existing between the Global North and Global South are highlighted, with allegations of American unilateralism discussed in particular. Divergent ideological and sociopolitical approaches to Internet governance are examined, with the current US-centric model of corporate self-regulation compared to an emergent multilateral intergovernmental regulatory paradigm. The relative lack of Southern influence and power over Internet political/administrative structures is investigated in this regard. The growing controversy surrounding the US-government sponsored Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is addressed. Highlights of debates from international forums dedicated to discussing Internet governance-related topics are presented, including possible structural reforms and sources of resistance to multilateral initiatives. Various stances of stakeholders involved in the debate over ICANN and other Internet governance actors are evaluated, with a special emphasis on the views of developing nations such as China, India, and Brazil. Proposals for reforming Internet governance and enhancing international trust in regulatory processes are proposed.