US senators draft Bill to force tech companies to disclose the user data they collect and how its monetized

Two US senators have proposed on Monday a bill in Congress to force tech companies to disclose what data they collect about their users and how it is being leveraged by the platform for profit. Named the Designing Accounting Safeguards to Help Broaden Oversight And Regulations on Data (DASHBOARD) Act, the bill was proposed by …

WSJ: Congress budget bill requires the administration to maintain U.S. oversight of the Web

The U.S. Congress has saved the Internet from President Obama. The White House had planned to end American protection for online freedom next year, but Congress used its power of the purse in the recent omnibus budget bill to nix the plan. That should delay any change at least until 2017. It’s hard to imagine …

Are We Destined To Surf The UN-Net?

Earlier this year, the Obama administration asked ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) to create a means of overseeing the Internet after U.S. governance is scheduled to end in another year. The administration decided not to maintain the current U.S. minimum-oversight role. This decision led to a debate as to whether transferring control …

Theory Vs Reality, Rep. John Shimkus weighs in on IANA transition: Keeping the Internet Open and Free

By Rep. John Shimkus on rollcall.com Summary: In theory, this transition follows a long-anticipated, congressionally endorsed plan to empower Internet architects and engineers, civil society, and technology industry stakeholders with the authority to maintain the DNS without government intrusion. In reality, the proposed transition creates an opportunity for authoritarian governments to supplant ICANN with the …

US House Appropriations Committee proposes to slash 20% NTIA spending to defund the IANA transition

According to Politico.com the House Appropriations Committee is proposing to slash NTIA spending by 20% to defund the IANA transition. APPROPRIATIONS REPORT CONCERNED ABOUT ICANN TRANSITION  The House Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations subcommittee report on its FY15 funding bill unveiled this week expresses wariness about NTIA’s plan to relinquish oversight of ICANN, according to an excerpt of …

Obama administration is backpedaling on ICANN transition?

The U.S. Government’s decision to end oversight of the International Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) represents an opportunity for U.S. leadership creating global “e-government” systems to solve international law enforcement and terrorism problems, develop global education and environmental initiatives, and in turn, start using the Internet as a platform for advancing a new …