Cyberspace is a global network encompassing the internet, electrical grids, water supply systems, banking transactions, transportation systems, and other critical structures that underpin modern societies. Cyberspace is an inherently decentralized technological domain that is mostly possessed by the private sector. Cyberspace can be viewed as a global commons. Here questions arise as to what is the optimal governance model for this domain. Examples of such questions surround how to balance state sovereignty with the fragmentation of cyberspace, and debates between multi-stakeholderism and multilateralism. Such questions add further complexity to the area of cyberspace governance. The specific cases of ITU, ICANN, IGF, UN GGE, and NETmundial add insight into cyberspace power politics as well as questions of legitimacy.
