Those of us who believe that democratic governments have a central role to play in multi-stakeholder cyberspace governance have received in the past few weeks a bracing reminder of both the hazards of this ideal in practice and the importance … Continue reading →

The revolutions in the Arab world showcased the catalytic role that information technology can play in political movements. As each regime toppled, leaders in other countries increasingly focused on how to prevent similar uprisings within their borders, ramping up the … Continue reading →

The Internet appears headed on a collision course with international regulatory institutions like the International Telecommunications Union, but might an impact be avoided? Put another way, what role might such international institutions play that promotes a free and open Internet? … Continue reading →

If it can be said that most international conferences occur in their own little world, the World Conference of International Telecommunications (WCIT-12) happened in another dimension. For outside observers the WCIT-12 goings-on (as well as out-comings) sometimes seemed to border … Continue reading →

Over the last year, in the wake of continuous revelations of cyber attacks on companies, the media, think tanks, and civil society groups, there has been an increasingly, vocal debate over whether private actors should be allowed to engage in … Continue reading →

I worked on a project to restrict access to or exports of software (and this was software that the US considered to be a munition). It was impossible to control – there were so many ways to beat any restrictions, … Continue reading →

Among the speeches that marked the opening of the 12th World Conference on International Telecommunication (WCIT) on December 3, 2012 in Dubai was that of Fadi Chehadé, President and CEO of ICANN (International Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) the … Continue reading →

As norms and governance for cyberspace have grown more problematic, the forums at which they are discussed have multiplied. Besides their recurrent discussion among the United Nations Government Group of Experts (GGE) on Information and Telecommunications, and at the Internet … Continue reading →

What is Stewardship in Cyberspace? Cyberspace – the global domain of digital electronic telecommunications – is nearing a turning point. Pressure is building towards a “constitutional moment”. Major governments have begun to debate what should be the “rules of the … Continue reading →