Policy Post 6.12 | Become A "Cybercitizen" - Register to Vote in the ICANN Elections!

CDT POLICY POST Volume 6, Number 12 June 28, 2000

A BRIEFING ON PUBLIC POLICY ISSUES AFFECTING CIVIL LIBERTIES ONLINE
from
THE CENTER FOR DEMOCRACY AND TECHNOLOGY

CONTENTS:
(1) Become A "Cybercitizen" - Register to Vote in the ICANN Elections!
(2) How to Become an ICANN Member & Register to Vote
(3) How the ICANN Election Will Work
(4) More Background on ICANN

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(1) BECOME A "CYBERCITIZEN" - REGISTER TO VOTE IN THE ICANN ELECTIONS!

An election vitally important for the future of the Internet is getting underway. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), an international nonprofit body that makes important technical decisions for the Internet, is organizing a global election for its Board of Directors.

The ICANN Board makes decisions on such crucial issues as the addition of new Top Level Domains (such as ".store" and ".banc") and the resolution of trademark disputes involving domain names. ICANN also oversees the assignment of domain names and Internet Protocol numbers, which some compare to "real estate" on the Internet; they are your "location" online.

Although ICANN's mission is supposed to be strictly technical, its decisions will indirectly influence the openness of the Internet and have the potential to raise critical free speech, privacy and other civil liberties issues.

Moreover, there are some who would want ICANN to take on a broader role -- one that would directly place it in the position of making policy decisions affecting free speech and privacy.

CDT is urging all Netizens to register and vote to protect the open, decentralized nature of the Internet -- and hold ICANN to a narrow, technical mission.

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(2) HOW TO BECOME AN ICANN MEMBER & REGISTER TO VOTE

Registration is open to anyone 16 years old or over with a valid email account and mailing address. You can register to vote at http://www.cdt.org/action/icann and get important election news, campaign information and background on ICANN at CDT's web site http://www.cdt.org/dns/.

Voter registration will be shut off at the end of July, so it's important to sign up NOW if you want to be part of the voting membership. Elections will begin on September 20, but only those who have registered in advance will be eligible to vote then.

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(3) HOW THE ICANN ELECTION WILL WORK

The upcoming election is for five new "At-Large" directors, representing ordinary Internet users. The process is intended to select five directors, one from each of five different regions of the world -- Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Latin America/Caribbean, and North America. The five will join 9 existing directors that have already been appointed by the technical, business and nonprofit organizations that participate in ICANN, four members of ICANN's initial board whose terms have been extended, and the ICANN president.

This is ICANN's first election, and the first online, global election ever. It will set the standard by which future online elections are judged and it will be an important test of whether ICANN can function as a body representing the public interest. CDT believes that it is vitally important that as many Netizens as possible get involved, so that we can ensure the public's voice is heard in the future of ICANN.

Although the voting process hasn't been finalized yet, in the most likely voting scheme, you (as a voting member of ICANN) would be asked to indicate your favorite choices for director from a list of nominees. Some of these candidates will be nominated by an ICANN committee, others will petition to get on the ballot. You would list your choices for director in order of preference, and the winners of the election would be the candidates with the highest and most consistent ratings.

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(4) MORE BACKGROUND ON ICANN

ICANN was formed in October 1998 to transfer management of the domain name system from the US government to a private, nonprofit organization. ICANN consists of a board of directors, three Supporting Organizations, several advisory committees and an At Large membership. (An organizational chart is available at http://www.icann.org/general/icann-org-chart_frame.htm)

CDT has been very active in monitoring ICANN and in participating in its development. In March, CDT and Common Cause issued a report on ICANN in which we pushed for the direct, democratic election of directors by the public, and urged ICANN to limit itself to its narrow, technical mission. The report is available at http://www.cdt.org/dns/icann/study/.

More background information on ICANN is available at http://www.cdt.org/dns/icann/.

For an introduction to domain-name issues, read "Your Place in Cyberspace", at http://www.cdt.org/dns/yourplace/

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Detailed information about online civil liberties issues may be found at http://www.cdt.org/.

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