In early May Representative Edward J. Markey (D-MA), chairman of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, joined Reps. John D. Dingell (D-MI), chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and 14 other members of the committee in sending a letter to Department of Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez regarding possible changes to ICANN.
The letter was written over their concerns for a major change in the Department of Commerce’s (DOC) relationship with ICANN.
The writers “believe ICANN can and should ensure transparency and promote greater accountability in its operations.” They are opposed to the possibility of the Department abandoning its role, “now or in the near future, in facilitating the transition of the technical management and coordination of the domain name system to the private sector. The current model, which emphasizes private sector leadership, remains a sound approach to ensure the stability and security of the Internet.”
The letter posed four questions to Secretary Gutierrez about the future role of the DoC in ICANN regarding its future oversight of the organisation, whether “key facilities of the root server system continue to be housed in the United States?” and how does ICANN intend to ensure it will remain in the United States.
The letter is available from Representative Markey’s website here.