Best Practice Corporate Governance and Protection of

							Best Practice Corporate
Governance and Protection of
Wider Stakeholder Interests
in .uk


Lesley Cowley – CEO Nominet
“May you come to the attention of people in high places”


• World Summit on the information Society (2003, 2005)
• OECD Ministerial 2008 on the Future of the Internet
  Economy
• The Internet: A victim of its own success?
• Or recognition the importance of the Internet to our
  daily lives?
The Internet as a Force for Good


• The greatest flowering of human creativity since the
  Renaissance (but without the bloodshed);
• Underpinned growth and wealth creation
• What has made the Internet so successful?
• Rapid innovation
   – Industry lead
   – Little regulation
   – Global
The Internet as a Challenge


• The threat to the individual
• Countries can’t control their own destinies
• Content becomes an issue
• What has made the Internet so threatening?
  – Rapid innovation
  – Industry lead
  – Little regulation
  – Global
Is the Internet Ungovernable?


• Regulation is economic suicide?
• No action is political suicide?
• Can we regulate it globally?
• Self-regulation is dead – long-live self-regulation!
Self-Regulation: What does it mean?
What can it achieve?


• Laws already exist (on-line as off-line)
• Some more general powers in UK legislation
   – Serious Organised Crime Prevention Act
   – Proceeds of Crime Act
• Self-regulation is not an easy option
• Working with others
Nominet’s Approach


• Our vision is of a world where the Internet is a trusted
  space, which everyone can be part of and has a
  positive impact on people’s lives.


• Our mission is to make a positive difference to UK
  Internet users and to shape the development of the
  Internet. We will do this by delivering excellence and
  innovation in our products and services, driven by the
  needs of our stakeholders, and creating a company
  where our people love coming to work.
Corporate Governance

• Many of our structures were created years ago
• Comparison with best practice necessary
• Recognition of the role and responsibilities of the registry
• Good governance builds trust, confidence and
  stakeholder accountability
• Corporate governance measures – disclosure of
  interests, independent directors, public accountability
  and transparency
• Good corporate governance as an element of good self-
  regulation
Self-regulation: An example – the IWF



• The UK Hotline for reporting illegal content specifically:
   – Child sexual abuse content hosted worldwide and
   – Criminally obscene and incitement to racial hatred
     content hosted in the UK
• A highly successful industry initiative that has led to
  near eradication of hosting child sexual abuse content
• Members have an obligation to act
• Nominet are members
Self-regulation: An example – Working
with the Metropolitan Police




• Dialogue on ticket scam sites
• Direct contact with Nominet’s Abuse Team (building
  trust)
• Presentation to Nominet’s Policy Advisory Body
• Setting up a liaison group with Law Enforcement
  Agencies
Nominet’s Response to the Government




• Corporate Governance Review
• Reform of the Policy Advisory Body
• Working with Stakeholders
Conclusions


• Expectations are high and well above what we can
  actually do (legally, contractually, responsibly)
• Need to update and improve our corporate governance
• Need to improve understanding of what works, what is
  practical, what is legal
• Open to stakeholders to understand issues better
• Work in partnership to improve success in addressing
  abuse
• The Internet has changed and so must we: we must be
  as responsive to our national community as we can be