ICANN President Blasts U.N. Push for Internet Control

GENEVA, Switzerland — ICANN President Paul Twomey said members of the international community who have been calling for the United Nations to take control of the Internet away from his organization and, ultimately, the United States are “living in a political fantasy land.”

Twomey’s resolve on the issue may be good news for adult webmasters who would potentially fall victim to severe content restrictions if an international body were placed in charge of the Internet.

Critics including U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan have been critical of both ICANN practices and the United States’ influence over Internet governance.

Annan has on a number of occasions suggested that cyberspace should be overseen by an international body and commissioned the U.N.’s Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG) to formulate a global plan for managing the Internet and present it at the upcoming world summit in Tunisia.

But the WGIG appears to have failed at the task. Instead, it released a report last week that merely suggests a number of possible options for Internet governance.

Twomey said the failure of WGIG members to agree on how the Internet should be run is a sign of what could happen if oversight were taken away from ICANN.

“There is no indication as I can see that there is going to be any sort of support for a binding international treaty that is going to cover all countries of the world and bind all of the companies involved with the internet through that treaty,” Twomey said. “I just don’t see it happening.”

While adult webmasters in the United States find themselves steering down the barrel of impending 2257 record-keeping regulations, the impact of 2257 on their content could be minor compared to the possible impact of international content restrictions.

In the grand, global scheme, the United States is less restrictive than the majority of the world. For example, Muslim countries strictly forbid adult content of any kind, and many Asian countries including China routinely shut down websites they deem obscene.

The U.S. Commerce Department in June released a four-point memo in which it asserted that it intended to “maintain its historic role in authorizing changes and modifications to the authoritative root zone file” after its current agreement with ICANN expires late in 2006.

Many saw the memo as a challenge to ICANN, but Twomey said he instead read the memo as a clear sign to the U.N. that the United States has no intention of forfeiting its oversight of the Internet to any international powers.

“I think some in the media misinterpreted it as being a document directed towards us,” Twomey said. “It was a document directed towards other governments.”

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

25,000 Sign Petition to Legalize Pornography in Ukraine

An OnlyFans model’s petition to decriminalize pornography in Ukraine has amassed the 25,000 signatures required for official consideration by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

WannaCollab Joins Pineapple Support as Supporter-Level Sponsor

WannaCollab has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

FSC Unpacks SCOTUS Age Verification Ruling in Webinar

The Free Speech Coalition conducted a public webinar Tuesday to help adult industry stakeholders understand the Supreme Court’s recent decision in FSC v. Paxton, and its potential implications.

UK Lawmaker Calls for Appointment of 'Porn Minister'

Baroness Gabrielle Bertin, the Conservative member of Parliament who recently convened a new anti-pornography task force, is calling for the appointment of a “minister for porn,” according to British news outlet The Guardian.

FSC Toasts Jeffrey Douglas for 30 Years of Service

n the very same evening when the adult industry was hit hard by the Supreme Court ruling supporting Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181, members of the Free Speech Coalition board, staff and supporters gathered to celebrate Jeffrey Douglas’ 30 years as board chair — a fitting reflection of his reputation as an eternal optimist.

TTS Opens UK Testing Location

Talent Testing Service (TTS) has opened a new U.K. location in Ware, Hertfordshire.

FSC: Age-Verification Laws Go Into Effect in South Dakota, Georgia, Wyoming on July 1

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has published a statement regarding new age verification laws set to go into effect tomorrow in South Dakota, Georgia, and Wyoming.

FSC Responds to Supreme Court Decision on Texas AV Law

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has released a statement responding to last week's Supreme Court decision on FSC v. Paxton, the Texas age verification law.

Sex Work CEO Debuts Upgraded 'GPTease' AI Assistant

Sex Work CEO has introduced the new Canvas in-chat editing feature to its AI-powered, NSFW text generator, GPTease.

UPDATED: Supreme Court Rules Against Adult Industry in Pivotal Texas AV Case

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday issued its decision in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, striking a blow against the online adult industry by ruling in support of Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181.

Show More