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Internet Governing Bodies – ICANN, IANA, W3C, ITU

Ever wondered who decides "google.com" belongs to Google? Or who controls ".in" domains? Meet the invisible rulers of the internet!

Why Do We Need Governance?

Internet has no owner, but needs:

  • Domain name allocation (prevent conflicts)
  • IP address distribution
  • Technical standards (so all devices can communicate)
  • Security coordination
Decentralized Yet Coordinated

No single entity controls the internet, but multiple organizations coordinate different aspects to keep it running smoothly!

1. ICANN - The Domain Name Boss

Full Name

Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers

What They Do

Primary Role: Manage the Domain Name System (DNS)

Responsibilities:

  • Approve new top-level domains (.com, .org, .in, .xyz)
  • Accredit domain registrars (GoDaddy, Namecheap)
  • Resolve domain disputes
  • Coordinate IP addresses (delegates to RIRs)

Structure

Headquarters: Los Angeles, USA Founded: 1998 Staff: 400+ Budget: $150 million/year (from domain registration fees)

Governance: Multi-stakeholder model

  • Governments (advisory role)
  • Private sector (registrars, ISPs)
  • Civil society (users, activists)
  • Technical community

Domain Name Hierarchy

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New TLDs Approved

Generic (.com is king!):

  • .com (156 million domains!)
  • .org, .net, .info, .biz

Country-code (.in for India):

  • .us (USA), .uk (UK), .cn (China), .in (India - 5 million domains)

New Generic (since 2013):

  • .xyz, .online, .tech, .shop, .app
  • Weird ones: .beer, .ninja, .pizza 🍕

Cost: Apply for new TLD = $185,000 fee!

Domain Dispute Resolution

UDRP (Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy):

Process:

  1. Trademark owner files complaint
  2. WIPO (World Intellectual Property Org) reviews
  3. Panel decides (30-60 days)
  4. Domain transferred or kept

Example: Microsoft won "microsoftindia.com" from cybersquatter

2. IANA - Internet's Address Book

Full Name

Internet Assigned Numbers Authority

Relationship with ICANN

Part of ICANN (IANA is a function, not separate org)

What They Do

1. IP Address Allocation

Delegates blocks to 5 Regional Internet Registries (RIRs):

RIRRegionIP Blocks
ARINNorth America100+ million IPs
RIPE NCCEurope, Middle East80+ million IPs
APNICAsia-Pacific (India here)90+ million IPs
LACNICLatin America50+ million IPs
AFRINICAfrica30+ million IPs

India's ISPs (Airtel, Jio) get IPs from APNIC

2. Protocol Numbers

Maintains databases of:

  • Port numbers (HTTP = 80, HTTPS = 443)
  • Protocol IDs
  • Character encodings

3. DNS Root Zone

Manages the root zone file (top of DNS hierarchy)

3. W3C - Web Standards Keeper

Full Name

World Wide Web Consortium

Founder

Tim Berners-Lee (invented WWW in 1989!)

Headquarters: MIT (USA) + ERCIM (Europe) + Keio University (Japan)

What They Do

Create web standards so websites work on all browsers

Major Standards:

  • HTML (HyperText Markup Language) - structure of web pages
  • CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) - styling/design
  • XML (data format)
  • WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) - for disabled users

Why It Matters

Before W3C: Website works on Netscape, not Internet Explorer → Chaos! After W3C: Standard HTML/CSS → Works everywhere

Example: <video> tag

  • W3C standardized it
  • Now works on Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge

Membership

500+ organizations:

  • Tech giants (Google, Apple, Microsoft, Meta)
  • Browsers (Mozilla, Opera)
  • Universities

India members: TCS, Infosys, IIT Bombay

4. ITU - Global Telecom Regulator

Full Name

International Telecommunication Union

Type: UN agency (oldest - since 1865!)

Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland

Members: 193 countries (including India)

What They Do

1. Radio Spectrum Allocation

  • Coordinates radio frequencies globally
  • Prevents interference

Example:

  • Mobile 4G uses 2300 MHz band
  • WiFi uses 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz
  • If not coordinated → interference!

2. Telecom Standards

  • Mobile standards (3G, 4G, 5G)
  • Video compression (H.264, H.265)
  • Fax, modem standards

3. Internet Governance (limited)

Controversial: Some countries (Russia, China) want ITU to control internet

  • Argument: Internet affects telecom, ITU should regulate
  • Counter: Would enable government censorship

Current status: ICANN remains independent

Other Important Bodies

5. IETF - Technical Standards

Internet Engineering Task Force

Creates: TCP/IP, HTTP, TLS/SSL protocols Open: Anyone can participate Process: RFCs (Request for Comments) - technical documents

Famous RFCs:

  • RFC 2616: HTTP/1.1
  • RFC 791: IP protocol

6. IEEE - Hardware Standards

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Standards:

  • 802.11 = WiFi
  • 802.3 = Ethernet

India involvement: IEEE Bangalore section (10,000+ members)

7. Regional Bodies

India:

  • NIXI (National Internet Exchange of India) - manages .IN domains
  • DoT (Department of Telecommunications) - telecom policy
  • TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority) - tariffs, licensing

Multi-Stakeholder Model

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Stakeholders:

  • Governments: Represent national interests
  • Private sector: Companies, ISPs
  • Technical community: Engineers, developers
  • Civil society: Users, NGOs, academics

Controversies & Challenges

1. US Dominance

Criticism: ICANN based in USA, subject to US laws 2016: US gave up oversight → ICANN now independent (but still US-based)

2. Root Server Location

13 root DNS servers (labeled A-M):

  • 10 in USA!
  • 2 in Europe, 1 in Japan
  • None in India, Africa, South America

Risk: US could theoretically control internet

Mitigation: Anycast (copies distributed globally)

3. Censorship Debate

China/Russia: Want more government control (ITU model) West: Keep multi-stakeholder model (ICANN)

At stake: Future of free vs controlled internet

Summary

  • ICANN: Domain names (.com, .in), approves new TLDs, resolves disputes, $185k to apply for new TLD
  • IANA: Part of ICANN, allocates IP addresses via 5 RIRs (APNIC for India), manages DNS root
  • W3C: Web standards (HTML, CSS), founded by Tim Berners-Lee, 500+ members
  • ITU: UN agency (193 countries), radio spectrum allocation, telecom standards (3G/4G/5G)
  • Others: IETF (TCP/IP), IEEE (WiFi), NIXI (India's .IN manager)
  • Model: Multi-stakeholder (governments + private + technical + civil society)
  • Challenges: US dominance, censorship debate, China/Russia want ITU control

Quiz Time! 🎯

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Next Chapter**: International Electronic Contracting! 📝

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