Overview Of The Internet And Its Governing System

This research seeks to explain the Internet, its associated issues and threats and the governing bodies that are established to ensure that all procedures, accessibility and operation of the Internet successful.

The Internet is “a global computer network providing a variety of information and communication facilities, consisting of interconnected networks using standardized communication protocols.” The Internet as we know it is not owned by any network or anyone, thus allowing unauthorized activities to exist but there are organizations that are in place to govern and set standards on what is available on the Internet.

What are the issues of the Internet

The issues of the Internet range from a wide spectrum, which includes the speed. Due to new and developing technologies, an Internet speed has to adapt, it should be able to fulfil the capacity of users on a daily basis, regardless of what technology is being used; the issue with this is that average speeds of internet connections differs in various countries. “Singapore is on top of the world when it comes to fast internet, then Sweden, Southeast Asian city-state has a geographical advantage over far larger countries, while the United States' ranks significantly low”.

Children and adolescents are at risk for sharing too much information and engaging in inappropriate conversations and sexual conduct with strangers. The inadequate control of age appropriate contents that are being circulated; criminal, sexual mainly child molestation, violence and abuse. The Internet is open to freedom of speech; which allows for open criticism, some countries block specific contents from being seen, such countries include North Korea, China, Iran just to name a few.

The act of computer crime is rapidly growing, more specifically cyber bulling is “the use of electronic communication to bully a person, typically by sending messages of an intimidating or threatening nature”. A recent incident of “a 9-year-old boy in Colorado come out as gay to his mother, who believes that bullying was a factor in his death”.

Internet Governance

Internet Governance is defined as “Governments, private sector and civil society, in their respective roles of shared principles, norms, rules, decision-making, procedures and programmes that shapes the evolution and use of the internet. It is important because it determines how the Internet is managed and used now and for the future, it also determines how the outcome may affect shareholders and mainly because the Internet is constantly changing its content. It is necessary to keep the Internet operational to maintain stability and authentication, so that each Internet names and numbers are globally unique.

Governing Bodies

Governing bodies are a set of organizations established to maintain different functionalities of the Internet, without these bodies the internet would be free to all users to do as they desire.

Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)

ICANN is a non-profit corporation with responsibility for IP address space allocation, protocol parameter assignment, domain name system management, and root server system management functions, the services previously performed by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA). The major role is to keep the Internet stable, secure and interoperable. It includes participants who design policies on the Internet's unique identifiers and its naming system. To preserve the operational stability of the Internet, achieve greater participation from global internet communities, develop policies and procedures and follow a consensus-driven approach. ICANN maintains a community consisting of Internet Service Providers (ISPs), registries, registrars, commercial and business entities, representatives of governments and individual Internet users who provide inputs and suggestions for better Internet Governance”.

Internet Society (ISOC)

ISOC engages in a widespread spectrum of Internet issues, including policy, governance, technology and development. They promote principles that are intended to persuade governments to make decisions that are right for the citizens and each nation’s future. The purpose of ISOC is to support the Internet's evolution as a research infrastructure by encouraging the involvements of specialized and experienced communities. Informing the academic communities regarding the use of the Internet and the latest applications, encourage and promote scientific applications for the Internet for the benefit of all users, by creating and sustaining a forum for discussions and exploration of innovative, Internet applications and Internet development and standards from members throughout the world”.

Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)

IETF is a global network of designers, operators, researchers and vendors interested in the growth and development of the internet, including its architecture and operators. Their main purpose is to identify operational and fix technical problems in the Internet and propose solutions to them, specify the development and use of protocols, and allow smooth transfer of technology, by creating a platform for the exchange of crucial information between users, researchers, vendors, operators, agency contractors and network managers.