ICANN’s role is to coordinate a working internet, not to break it.
ICANN has responded to Ukraine’s request to essentially kick Russia off the internet. Unsurprisingly, it denied the request.
Earlier this week, Ukraine’s government asked ICANN to target Russia’s access to the Internet by revoking specific country code top-level domains operated from within Russia, arranging the revocation of SSL certificates issued within those domains, and shutting down a subset of root servers located in Russia.
In a letter (pdf) sent yesterday, ICANN President and CEO Göran Marby told Ukraine:
…In our role as the technical coordinator of unique identifiers for the Internet, we take actions to ensure that the workings of the Internet are not politicized, and we have no sanction-levying authority. Essentially, ICANN has been built to ensure that the Internet works, not for its coordination role to be used to stop it from working.
Marby also noted that ICANN doesn’t have the ability to do some of the things Ukraine asked, such as revoking SSL certificates.
ICANN also pointed out that access to the internet can actually help disseminate information that Russians need to receive:
As you have said in your letter, your desire is to help users seek reliable information in alternative domain zones and prevent propaganda and disinformation. It is only through broad and unimpeded access to the Internet that citizens can receive reliable information and a diversity of viewpoints. Regardless of the source, ICANN does not control Internet access or content.
Extraordinary times call for extraordinary actions. Göran Marby is hiding behind legalese as it existed before the invasion of Ukraine.
I don’t think there’s any legalese in there. If ICANN were to do this, it would hasten the beginning of the “splinternet”. And I agree with Mike, keeping the internet alive in Russia could be helpful.
I think perhaps it is better perhaps to keep internet active in Russia, if only to be able to make sure ordinary people get internet so they know what mad man Putin is doing . Maybe could target some specific domain names, Government propoganda.
I note that someone has taken the http://www.rusemb.org website which is similar to the rusemb.org.uk domain . Wonder how long that will last.
It is important to keep the internet open without any firewall/restrictions
THIS is on topic and worth a read. MIND YOU, even this newspaper, Standard, in United KIngdom, is owned, believe it or not, by an Ex KGB Boss. Who Boris Johnson made a Peer (maybe a brown envelope to the Conservative Govt ?)
However note the mention of Internet !
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/mobile-phones-vladimir-putin-russia-ukraine-british-ambassador-sir-roderic-lyne-b985763.html?itm_source=Internal&itm_channel=homepage_trending_article_component&itm_campaign=trending_section&itm_content=1
Definitely best keep internet and mobiles on in Russia.
Imagine if Iraq had asked ICAAN to kick America off the Internet after it was proven Bush administration lied about WMD to invade Iraq for oil profits.
ICAAN did the right thing.
There is a myth that nobody ‘owns’ the Internet, but if the registries can delete domains while housing all of those in existence; they are strong rejection of this myth.
Are we choosing to be free or controlled, a slippery slope indeed.
Well Patrick we ARE “controlled” already are we not ?. It is just a matter of BY WHOM we are controlled and whether that is equal control or not. There is No “zero control” in this life at all, for obvious reasons.
What we are seeing now is the beginning of what could well be WW3 ,and now I see Russia has deliberately attacked a Nuclear power plant . Putin clearly is suicidal and going to try take us all down with him.
I understand we are controlled and that is what has gotten us too this point in time. Nothing is black and white but more an ominous gray.
Putin and his “team” already working on cutting Russia from DNS, ICANN, and The Internet. Ironically, the man is shooting into his own paws.