[ga] FYI: GAO comments on ICANN

[Alexander Svensson <alexander@svensson.de>]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20020611/pl_nm/tech_icann_dc_2

A Reuters article by Andy Sullivan already contains some bits from
the General Accounting Office testimony:

>[...]
>
>ICANN is not a part of the U.S. government, but operates under a
>1998 contract with the Department of Commerce that requires it to
>meet several conditions before it assumes full control of the
>domain-name system.
>
>But it is uncertain whether ICANN will ever meet those conditions
>and obtain full control, according to a congressional investigator's
>prepared testimony obtained by Reuters.
>
>[...]
>
>ICANN has introduced competition into the domain-name business, driving
>down Web-site registration prices from around $50 to $10, according
>to testimony prepared by Peter Guerrero, a director of the General
>Accounting Office, the investigative arm of Congress.
>
>But it has made little progress toward fulfilling other requirements
>such as boosting security of the domain-name system and setting up
>an inclusive governance process, Guerrero said.
>
>ICANN has made little progress in formalizing relationships with other
>volunteer groups that oversee aspects of the domain-name system, he said.
>
>"Until these issues are resolved, the timing and eventual outcome of
>the transition effort remain highly uncertain, and ICANN's legitimacy
>and effectiveness as the private-sector manager of the domain-name
>system remain in question," Guerrero said in his written testimony.
>
>[...]

BTW: In the article, a U.S. Senator calls for even more U.S.
control over ICANN:

>"The U.S. needs to ensure ICANN operates with the same sort of
>internal processes as in any other federal agency," he said.

*Any other*??!

Best regards,
/// Alexander

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