Many in the United States government want it to maintain and continue its stranglehold on Internet oversight and the final say in how the World Wide Web functions. Others, including President Barack Obama, disagree, arguing instead that it should go to an independent body similar to how other sectors are run.
But on April 10, a top Commerce Department official affirmed their support for the White House's plan to hand over power to a regulatory body consisting of nonprofit groups, engineers and companies.
The department oversees the Internet's domain names and addresses, which allows for superior control in who has access to developing websites of a certain character. Republicans are opposed to the move and have pushed for the government to reconsider.
The move to give power to a private entity is part of the overall restructuring of the Internet to how it is managed in the real world, using similar agreements with different aspects of the sector.
Republicans believe the U.S. is the chief among entities capable of maintaining adequate oversight and have called into question the transfer.
Others believe that the Internet is a global enterprise and in order to maintain that aspect, it must also be governed by the international community together.
Assistant Secretary of Commerce Lawrence Strickling affirmed his department's support of the transfer at a House Judiciary subcommittee, saying that the administration's plan didn't amount to the U.S. "giving away the Internet."
Across the tech world, the proposed transfer has been met with widespread support, arguing that a government should not be the sole owner of power over the creation of new domains. This, they said, could limit a number of issues, including access to the entire web, freedom of speech infringements and a worry that the U.S. could take more control over the Internet without seeking the need for support from a wider audience.
Strickling agrees. His department believes that for the U.S. to maintain its position on the international stage, it cannot be seen as a bully who attempts to control all aspects of life.
"There is no one party -- government or industry, including the U.S. government -- that controls the Internet. The Internet is a decentralized network of networks," Strickling said.
While the debate is likely to continue over the appropriate entity to control the Internet, here in Silicon Valley, many are wondering whether large companies such as Google and Apple would be able to increase their own power over the Internet if they had a more forceful voice in matters.
