Controlling national top-level domains—the question of legitimacy

Abstract

National Top-level Domains (TLDs) are controlled in different ways and by different types of organs, including governments, non-profit organizations and stock-listed companies. The only thing the different systems seem to have in common is that they all have been criticized for lacking legitimacy. This paper will describe the different types of systems used to control national TLDs and review whether they meet the traditional demands for legitimacy. It will also evaluate the importance of possible lack of legitimacy in the different systems and try to provide possible solutions.