• Internet Coordination in Times of War Hisham Ibrahim Based in Dubai, UAE Hisham Ibrahim is the Chief Community Officer at the RIPE NCC. • He leads the RIPE NCC’s engagement efforts to foster a dynamic, inclusive RIPE community. • He is responsible for engagement with RIPE NCC members, the RIPE community, Internet governance and training services. • Hisham is active on several committees in various …More 4 min read Share Periods of armed conflict often lead to renewed scrutiny of how the Internet functions and of the organisations involved in its coordination. • In such moments, simplified or incorrect narratives that can frame technical coordination roles as political choices, or assign responsibilities to coordination bodies that fall outside their mandate, can quickly develop and gain traction. • In these circumstances, it is imperative that trust in Internet coordination is sustained through consistent stewardship of a clearly defined role and predictable, transparent action.
Article Summaries:
- During armed conflict, scrutiny of the Internet’s coordination mechanisms rises, and false narratives often emerge that suggest registry data should be altered as a political tool. The RIPE NCC, the Regional Internet Registry for Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia, maintains only a narrow, technical role: to keep an accurate, consistent record of IP address allocations. Its neutrality is essential; any perceived political interference undermines trust, can destabilise inter‑connectivity, and may prompt the creation of alternative coordination sources, fragmenting the global Internet. The article stresses that shutdowns or access restrictions are operational matters, not registry functions, and that RIPE’s impartiality must be preserved even in wartime.
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