{"id":41,"date":"2017-04-18T07:27:45","date_gmt":"2017-04-18T11:27:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/networks\/?page_id=41"},"modified":"2022-09-25T19:59:36","modified_gmt":"2022-09-25T23:59:36","slug":"the-bodies-of-internet-governance","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/itp.nyu.edu\/networks\/explanations\/the-bodies-of-internet-governance\/","title":{"rendered":"The Bodies of Internet Governance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

These notes are a brief outline of the various bodies that govern the internet. Keep in mind the internet isn’t a clearly defined body, so governing it isn’t like governing a state. Rather, these bodies create standards that the companies who run internet businesses can implement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The internet grew out of the ARPAnet, originally set up in 1969, consisting of four nodes: Stanford Research Institute, UCLA, UCSB, and the University of Utah. Here’s the original map<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Early<\/a>
Early map of the ARPAnet with four nodes. From Scientific American, Dec. 2009<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The core process of internet governance is the Request for Comment (RFC) <\/a>document. When you want to set a new standard, you write an RFC document and ask for comments. Then a bunch of people argue about it, re-write it, argue some more, re-write some more, until consensus emerges.  The bodies described below all exist to manage the process in some way or another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Internet Society<\/a> (ISOC)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n