Who Owns the Internet?
What makes this such an interesting question is the answer may depend on why the question is being asked.
If it is being asked to determine who has control of the internet, “control” is most often a result of government regulations. In this case, governments control the internet in their own countries, usually based on how “free” that country may be. According to the non-profit group Freedom House, the five most restrictive countries regarding freedom on the internet include:
- North Korea
- Iran
- Ethiopia
- Cuba
- China
North Korea has more of an intranet than internet with only a few dozens North Korean approved websites available on their edition of the ‘net. Orangewebsite.com recently published an article on The Most Internet Restrictive Countries on the Planet.
While individual countries can regulate internet access and use, and they can even jail citizens for internet posts, they don’t “own” the internet in the true sense. The reality is, the internet exists for the good of those who participate in its functionality. You may “own” your own section of the internet with your personal electronic devices but likely pay for access to the world wide web. You may pay for access to one of many large telecommunications companies who has invested in the “backbone” of the internet. These companies include giants like AT&T, Comcast Xfinity, Time Warner, Charter Communications, Verizon, and others. These are names that are seemingly constantly in the news regarding mergers and acquisitions as they position to combine themselves with content companies to provide more attractive “packages” for consumers.
On the server side, millions of companies pay to lease server space so their websites are reliably available to consumers and potential customers who may be interested in what these companies are offering. This is one of the functions that Orangewebsite.com plays in our role on the internet.
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