Almost thirty years ago, the United States government began to step back from overseeing a crucial part of the internet’s infrastructure: the system that assigns names and numbers, allowing computers and networks across the globe to connect and communicate.
This decision marked the beginning of a major shift in how the internet was managed—moving away from U.S. control and towards a global governance model that remains significant today.
Milton L. Mueller, a professor at Georgia Tech’s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy, explores this transformation in his new book, Declaring Independence in Cyberspace.
He explains that what seemed like a minor technical change was actually deeply political.
His book focuses on the creation of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) in 1998, a nonprofit organization established by the U.S. government to manage the internet’s address system.
This move was meant to replace the informal, U.S.-led system with an international model driven by the private sector.
At first, the U.S. Department of Commerce maintained oversight of ICANN. But in 2014, facing international pressure and criticism over surveillance activities revealed by Edward Snowden, the U.S. announced plans to hand over control entirely to global internet stakeholders.
This change stirred up political debates within the United States, with many arguing that America should continue to safeguard internet freedom from authoritarian regimes like China, Russia, and Iran.
However, after two years of debate, the Obama administration succeeded in pushing the transition forward. ICANN became fully independent in 2016, marking what Mueller describes as a “crowning achievement” of neoliberal globalization.
Since its independence, ICANN has managed to remain neutral in global conflicts, resisting pressure to censor or limit access based on political demands. For example, it refused to block Russian domain names following the invasion of Ukraine, demonstrating its commitment to maintaining an open and global internet.
However, ICANN has faced challenges, such as slow policy-making and struggles with adapting to global regulations like Europe’s General Data Privacy Regulation (GDPR). Despite these issues, Mueller believes ICANN’s governance model is a clear improvement over state-controlled alternatives.
Mueller argues that the lessons from ICANN’s journey are relevant for today’s discussions on artificial intelligence (AI).
Just as the internet’s governance once sparked fears of state control and surveillance, AI now occupies a similar position in public debate.
Mueller cautions against assuming that heavy-handed government control is the best solution.
Drawing from ICANN’s experience, he suggests that global cooperation and multistakeholder governance models might better balance innovation with regulation, keeping AI development free from excessive political influence.
Mueller’s message is clear: just as global cooperation worked for the internet, it might also work for AI. Instead of turning solely to national governments for control, exploring broader governance models could help us navigate the challenges of AI responsibly and fairly.
