Internet Governance: Territorializing Cyberspace?

Internet governance evolved in an ad hoc manner and produced a decentralized, regulatory environment that has been shaped by a myriad of public and private organizations. The decentralized nature of this form of Internet governance is now being challenged. New technical, security, and privacy issues have raised political questions concerning whether such loose regulatory coordination can adapt quickly enough to twenty-first-century challenges. Such doubts go well beyond the technical; they reflect profound questions about who should control the Internet. This article examines the issue of Internet governance in light of recent challenges. Discussion is centered on assessing efforts to replace the current decentralized, multistakeholder governance model with a centralized, multilateral model. Trends are examined with reference to efforts by some member states of the International Telecommunication Union to strengthen the role of governments in Internet regulation, especially during negotiations at the 2012 World Conference on International Telecommunications.