[governance] [liberationtech] Chinese preparing for a "Autonomous Internet" ?

[parminder]

On other issue of, whether US gov can or could take unilateral steps 
with regard to ICANN and root server management;

It is important to know that among all countries the US has the worst 
record for similar unilateral action effecting foreign lands and 
nationals. US's Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets 
Control (OFAC) is the key operative unit in this regard.

See /http://www.ustreas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/  for the role of /OFAC

    "The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Department of
    the Treasury administers and enforces economic and trade sanctions
    based on US foreign policy and national security goals against
    targeted foreign countries and regimes, terrorists, international
    narcotics traffickers, those engaged in activities related to the
    proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and other threats to
    the national security, foreign policy or economy of the United
    States. OFAC acts under Presidential national emergency powers, as
    well as authority granted by specific legislation, to impose
    controls on transactions and freeze assets under US jurisdiction.
    Many of the sanctions are based on United Nations and other
    international mandates, are multilateral in scope, and involve close
    cooperation with allied governments. "


To take an example. if anyone tries to access the services of google 
analytics from Cuba she is greeted by the following message (for the 
full report see 
http://www.webpronews.com/google-blocks-cuba-from-gaining-analytics-access-2012-06 
)

    /We're: unable to grant you access to Google Analytics at this time./

    /A connection Has Been Established Between your current IP address
    and acountry sanctioned by the U.S. government. For more
    information, see http://www.ustreas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/ ./

Google Earth, Google's Desktop Search tool and Google Code Search are 
similarly blocked.

It is my understanding that a simple order from the Office of Foreign 
Assets Control to ICANN/ Verisign could put provision of root server 
services to Cuba and its nationals ( and those of some other countries) 
under similar sanctions. That is how close we are to what many think is 
an impossible calamity.

parminder


On Friday 22 June 2012 09:51 PM, Lee W McKnight wrote:
> To clarify again - and since we are talking both administrative 
> procedures and worst case scenarios - I do indeed highlight the 
> hypothetical 'firebreak' potential of the limited US control of the 
> root zone servers; which is of course augmented/reinforced by all the 
> other servers out there. Since USG/DOC/NTIA does not have 
> administrative control of those other servers.
>
> And of course that mattering is in the 'highly unlikely' category.   
> As would be the hypothetical case of - some - root zone servers 
> engaging in root zone file disobedience.
>
> But then, as I note in other contexts, Fukushima taught nuclear power 
> plant operators - and governments and the public - that whatever they 
> thought was the worst case scenario, things could be much worse than 
> that.  So fair enough and it is indeed worth discussing various worst 
> case scenarios and how resilient the net and internet governance 
> mechanisms are to various - worst cases.
>
> Which is still a different matter from discussing further 
> internationalization/globalization is needed, which I also subscribe to.
>
> Lee
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> *From:* pouzin at gmail.com [pouzin at gmail.com] on behalf of Louis Pouzin 
> (well) [pouzin at well.com]
> *Sent:* Friday, June 22, 2012 12:06 PM
> *To:* governance at lists.igcaucus.org; parminder
> *Subject:* [governance] [liberationtech] Chinese preparing for a 
> "Autonomous Internet" ?
>
> On Fri, Jun 22, 2012 at 6:25 AM, parminder <parminder at itforchange.net 
> <mailto:parminder at itforchange.net>> wrote:
>
>
>     I think we had cleared this level long back in our argument that
>     we are *not* any longer discussing the 'technical possibility' of
>     the root server operators not publishing the authoritative root
>     zone file but the 'socio-political' likelihood that they would in
>     fact do such a thing. Stephanie had spoken of this likelihood and
>     not the 'technical possibility', and, in this regard, expressed
>     disagreement with David. To quote Stephanie's email "unless its
>     operator decides to break free; unlike David Conrad, I regard this
>     as highly unlikely.......... "
>
>     And since you answered to this statement with an apology of
>     possible misunderstanding, I was confounded, because I thought you
>     have been saying all along that you indeed think that if the US
>     did interfere with the root, the root server operators, other than
>     the one under US gov contract, will in fact 'break free'. (Lee and
>     others supported and built on this argument as the principal
>     element in the discussion about possible misuse of US's control
>     over the root.)
>
>     I repeat, I dont think such 'breaking free' is likely and
>     therefore the so called current distributed root server
>     architecture *does not* provide us protection against likely
>     improper interference of the US with the root.
>
>     parminder
>
>     - - -
>
> You are dead right, Parminder. But there are plenty of smart net 
> professionals who know how to twist the architecture.
>
> In case of USG interference with the ICANN root zone, predicting the 
> reactions of the 3 non US based root servers is rather uncertain. 
> Their operators may be politically sensitive and under pressure 
> exerted by the powers that be.
>
> However, the rumor of root poisoning would spread like bush fire 
> across social nets. As there are zillions of root copies in ISPs, 
> corporate nets, and even individual computers, it would not take long 
> to switch to servers feeding a previous correct version (remember 
> Wikileaks). Then Verisign would apologize for an unfortunate snafu in 
> an updating operation, and business would return to usual. A positive 
> effect would be a debunking of the central root myth.
>
> There could be as well negative effects on some users and 
> institutions. Who knows ? Then they would realize that they are living 
> under a Damocles sword. If they don't like it, it's up to them to 
> consider practical alternatives.
>
> - - -
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