There is "every reason to believe" that the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) functions "will be consumed" by the ITU, said Bartlett Cleland, Institute for Policy Innovation resident scholar-tax and innovation policy, in a news release Thursday.
Cleland cited Iran's suggestion that the proposals of ICANN's Governmental Advisory Committee be mandated upon approval by a simple majority of ICANN's board.
"The Obama administration's view is not just being ignored, but essentially mocked, as authoritarian governments move to make ICANN another puppet of government," he said. Cleland said if the U.S. fails to preserve Internet freedom, it could be forced to disconnect from the global network.