Finding order in a contentious Internet

Abstract

In 1998 an attempt to remove an offensive video blocked YouTube for most of the Internet...network operators resolved the issue in three hours. Spamhaus disseminates authoritative spam blocking lists, performing a vetting function while distributing monitoring and enforcement effort. Non-state collectives are increasingly playing function-specific Internet governance roles, often competing with conventional governance modes. Despite demonstrated operational and decisional capacity, little is known about how this capacity develops or how it is maintained. This research is an empirical, comparative analysis of governance arrangements and the implications for the ongoing design and operations of the Internet.