September 29, 2016
Carson City, NV – Nevada Attorney General Adam Paul Laxalt together with attorneys general from Arizona, Oklahoma and Texas announced the filing of a lawsuit to prevent the federal government from giving away Internet oversight to an international organization that is an unregulated, nongovernmental body.
Since its founding, the U.S. Commerce Department has overseen the operations of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). However, the federal government has announced its plans to allow ICANN to become fully independent once its contract expires on September 30. The plan would allow for private parties to control the Internet and could seriously undermine free speech on the Internet domain. The lawsuit argues that the decision violates the First Amendment, the Property Clause and the Administrative Procedure Act. The parties are asking for an injunction to stop the transfer.
“By relinquishing its oversight of the Internet to a nongovernmental and unregulated international organization, the Commerce Department is seriously jeopardizing free speech and inviting censorship on the Internet where there should be a free exchange of ideas,” said Laxalt. “In asking for an injunction, if successful, we hope to halt this transfer in order to give policy makers time to evaluate the possible consequences of this decision.”
To view the filed complaint, click here.
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