Overview
In 1997 the U.S. decided that the Internet should be governed not by governments, but by something called the “global Internet community.” In Declaring Independence in Cyberspace,
Milton Mueller tells the story of why it took 20 years of organizational and geopolitical stuggle to make that happen.
ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), created in 1998, was the US government’s answer to the question of who would control the Internet registries—a key part of the Internet infrastructure supporting domain names, network numbers, IP addresses, and other protocol parameters. Originally, ICANN was a bold institutional innovation based on a vision of Internet governance that was thoroughly globalized and independent of nation-states. Declaring Independence in Cyberspace explains where this vision came from, the problems posed by its implementation, and the organization’s near-self destruction in its first five years.
The U.S. government refused to let go of ICANN for 15 years, triggering geopolitical conflicts over sovereignty and U.S. power. Mueller details why, what prompted its change of heart, and how the problem of making ICANN accountable to its community in the absence of U.S. government control sparked a political battle in Washington. His account gets to the very heart of a pressing question with profound global implications: Is state sovereignty the immutable foundation of global governance, or do new technological capabilities change the model?
This book title, Declaring Independence in Cyberspace (Internet Self-Governance and the End of U.S. Control of ICANN), ISBN: 9780262552585, by Milton L. Mueller, published by MIT Press (May 13, 2025) is available in paperback. Our minimum order quantity is 25 copies. All standard bulk book orders ship FREE in the continental USA and delivered in 4-10 business days.
Unlike Amazon and other retailers who may also offer Declaring Independence in Cyberspace (Internet Self-Governance and the End of U.S. Control of ICANN) books on their website, we specialize in large quantities and provide personal service, from trusted, experienced, friendly people in Portland, Oregon. We offer a Price Match Guarantee, and QuickQuote form, to make purchasing quick and easy.
Prefer to work with a human being when you order Declaring Independence in Cyberspace (Internet Self-Governance and the End of U.S. Control of ICANN) books in bulk? Our Book Specialists are standing by Monday-Friday 8-5 PST, ready to help!