The internet’s multi-stakeholder model must be protected at all costs, according to a leading industry official.
Rod Beckstrom, chief executive and president of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), said this approach has been the catalyst for the growth of the world wide web.
“By protecting that catalyst, we protect the Internet,” he told attendees at the Internet Governance Forum in Nairobi, Kenya.
ICANN – the not-for-profit organization responsible for unifying the internet and exercising domain name control – is itself based on the multi-stakeholder concept.
This means the body allows everyone with an interest in the net to participate in its work.
Mr. Beckstrom said this principle cannot be sacrificed as the development of the internet continues, and the web establishes a truly global presence.
“We need to make continued progress,” he stated.
“Otherwise a small number of stakeholders who do not represent the global public interest could step into the breach.”