The Republican presidential cadidate agreed with Senator Ted Cruz, who has led a Congressional movement to block the transition of Domain Naming System from the U.S. to ICANN.
US Plans To Cede Oversight
The US plans to hand over the Domain Naming System supervision to the nonprofit international group called Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers this coming October 1, 2016. However, this transfer plan isn't new and has been proposed in 2014. The DNS is considered as the web's adress book and it ensures that you get to a certain website like iTechpost.com when you type in the address.
The DNS has been operated by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN, but as a whole, it answers to the US government for about 18 years until plans to give control over to the nonprofit organization has been put in motion. On August, the U.S. National Telecommunications and Information Administration, or NTIA, approved this agreement.
Donald Trump Wants To Keep Internet Freedom
It was Ted Cruz who initially led the movement to block the transfer, saying that the freedom of internet could be in jeopardy with other countries positioned and willing to use their influence to censor content on the web. He warned in a Senate hearing that an internet run by Middle Eastern countries could punish content they deem blasphemous, or China and Russia could incarcerate those that "engage in political dissent."
The plan was also attacked by the Trump campaigns national policy director, Stephen Miller, on Wednesday saying that "Donald J. Trump is committed to preserving internet freedom for the American people and citizens all over the world" and that it is now "at risk" because of President Obama's intent to transfer supervision to "international interest."
That's Not How It Works - Says Smart People
Technologists and administration officials said that's not how the internet works. The government's curret job is largely "clerical" and got nothing to do with censoring content on the web. They cannot influence any sort of editorial decisions and therefore, cannot "transfer" such "power" over to ICANN.
In fact, large internet companies - like Google, Facebook, and Twitter - have "described it imperative that the transition move forward," says White House press secretary, Josh Earnest.
Some warn that if plans of transition on Oct. 1 gets delayed, countries like Russia and China has the ability and could try to shift DNS responsibilities to the United Nations, giving them more influence over global internet policy.
"He is a demagogue, who seems to appeal to the lowest common denominator." - says Physicist Stephen Hawking on Donald Trump in June.
