Internet at a crossroads? The risk of fragmentation is real

At its most basic, Internet fragmentation means that the Internet could break apart into separate intranets, resulting in a splintering of the unified Internet

In recent years, political and for-profit motivations have resulted in steps taken that could undermine the interoperability of the global Internet, potentially leading to what experts call Internet fragmentation.

Indian business and foreign policy leaders are painting an increasingly gloomy geopolitical and economic picture.

Two out of three CEOs in India expect a recession in the next 12 months, according to the recently published KPMG 2022 India CEO Outlook.

Among other factors, geopolitical turmoil, such as the Russia-Ukraine war, has a negative impact on business sentiment.

With geopolitical uncertainties continuing to impact strategies, 75 percent of CEOs in India are adjusting or planning to adjust their risk management procedure, said the report by consulting firm KPMG.

The somber sentiment expressed by top executives in India was echoed by the country’s finance minister. “The geopolitical environment remains tense and uncertain,” said Nirmal Sitharaman at a recent IMF and World Bank meeting. She added that this “could trigger fresh supply concerns in the winter for critical commodities such as crude oil and natural gas. Inflation control would be a major concern in the developed economies.”

But it is not just the business and financial sectors that face geopolitical uncertainties. In the Internet space, we are seeing a similar situation where individual decisions taken by various actors could potentially lead to the Internet’s fragmentation. Continued global strife and division would make that risk increasingly real.

WHAT IS INTERNET FRAGMENTATION?

At its most basic, Internet fragmentation means that the Internet could break apart into separate intranets, resulting in a splintering of the unified, global, interoperable Internet we have come to rely on. A fragmented Internet would threaten the current Internet’s core function and unprecedented capability of connecting users and their devices seamlessly, safely, and instantly anywhere in the world.

Governments can help by directing their stakeholders to participate in the development of the Internet’s standards and policies. Companies can contribute, by speeding up the adoption of the latest standards that will make it safer for users to access the Internet.

This means that users may no longer be able to connect with their friends and family anywhere in the world. The Internet also serves as vital tool for education, as information on the Internet is free; but we will lose this quickly when the Internet fragments.

MEASURES IMPACTING INTERNET OPERATIONS

In recent years, to respond to perceived data privacy concerns of their citizens, some governments have introduced new rules and regulations that unintentionally impacted the technical operation of the Internet. Others, driven by their perceived duty to shield citizens from what they deem as harmful information, have blocked access to certain content or large parts of the global Internet. According to the 2021 Freedom on the Net project, officials in at least 20 countries suspended Internet access, while 21 countries blocked access to social media platforms.

Against the backdrop of the Russian invasion, Ukraine had asked the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to target Russia’s access to the Internet, by revoking specific country-code top-level domains operated from within Russia, arranging the revocation of secure sockets layer certificates issued within those domains, and shutting down a subset of root servers located in Russia.

KEEPING THE INTERNET WORKING

But organizations such as ICANN were established to ensure that the Internet works, not for its coordination role to be used to stop it from working. In ICANN’s role as the technical coordinator of unique identifiers for the Internet, we take actions to ensure that the workings of the Internet are not politicized, and we have no sanction-levying authority.

Along with other organizations such as the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), ICANN sets technical policies and standards to keep the Internet working and evolving. For example, the IETF has set thousands of standards that have kept the Internet evolving to keep up with the times, such as developing the Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) address when it was discovered that IPv4 addresses were not sufficient to provide a distinct address to every Internet device.

Such standard-setting organizations are not motivated by politics or profit, but by a shared desire to keep the Internet working in a single and interoperable way. These organizations welcome anyone interested to participate and every voice is equal and heard.

STAYING INFORMED AND SPEAKING UP

Participating in the work of organizations like ICANN and the IETF will keep you informed about how the Internet works, as well as the current issues that are impacting it. It also enables you to help shape the future of the Internet. For example, at the recent ICANN75 meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Internet fragmentation was discussed.

Governments can help by directing their stakeholders to participate in the development of the Internet’s standards and policies. Companies can contribute, by speeding up the adoption of the latest standards that will make it safer for users to access the Internet.

A good place to learn more about Internet governance is the ICANN website where you can find a plethora of information about Internet governance and ICANN. For a live and interactive deep dive into Internet governance consider attending one of our three annual meetings, either virtually or in person. It’s free and open to everyone interested in ICANN and Internet governance.

We can all help to protect the global Internet so that the two billion people that remain unconnected can also enjoy its benefits– because that is what the Internet was intended to do: connect us.

Jia-Rong Low

Regional Vice President and Managing Director at ICANN Asia Pacific.

feedbackvnd@cybermedia.co.in