GOP rushes to block: Obama’s ‘internet giveaway’ to Russia, China

If there is one thing that millennials value, it is an open and free internet. Generation Y was born online and were the first to put great content on the web. From entertainment to the so-called “new media” phenomenon, millennials were always at the forefront of the latest trend.

The Obama administration has recently been planning to hand over the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the global non-profit that manages the internet’s name domain system, to the “international community.” The transition is set to take place on October 1.

According to Politico, the president and others in his administration are trying to rally support for the plan. The Commerce Department hosted a special event this week that featured many movers and shakers within the online trade organizations, including groups like Internet Society and NetChoice, and attempted to convince them that this is a smart move.

Critics point out the move would give countries like Russia, China, and even Iran an unprecedented opportunity to seize power on the web. They could force censorship onto the online community and curb freedom of speech.

Republicans in both the Senate and the House are trying to put a stop to it.