The Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University will conduct an independent, exploratory study analyzing the communication and decision-making processes of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the organization responsible for managing the internet’s domain name system.
The study will develop a framework and recommendations for understanding and improving ICANN’s accountability and transparency.
“We are excited to take on this challenge and contribute to ICANN’s ongoing review over the next few months,” Berkman Center executive director Urs Gasser said. “The processes of this unique organization raise interesting issues related to networked governance, participation, and dispute resolution with implications for emerging digital institutions more broadly.”
The Berkman Center’s final report will be publicly available after ICANN’s Accountability and Transparency Review Team has had the opportunity to utilize the report’s findings in recommendations to the ICANN board.
The Accountability and Transparency Review Team’s announcement can be found at http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-10aug10-en.htm.
The Berkman Center is a research program founded to explore cyberspace, share in its study, and help pioneer its development. Founded in 1997, the center is home to an ever-growing community of faculty, fellows, staff, and affiliates working on projects that span the broad range of intersections between cyberspace, technology, and society.