US: Gov’t Telecoms Agency Seeks Feedback on Blockchain for Its International Agenda

A U.S. government telecoms agency reached out for feedback on blockchain policy June 4 as officials forecast “increasing focus” on the technology in the coming years.

In an announcement, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), which is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, said that it wanted stakeholders’ input in “shaping its international agenda.”

Broadly pertaining to internet governance, that agenda is set to pay specific attention to “emerging technologies and trends” such as blockchain, as well as freedom of information online, privacy and security.

“We expect that in the coming years, our focus will increasingly be on artificial intelligence, automated workforces, blockchain technologies and more,” David J. Redl, assistant secretary for communications and information and NTIA administrator explained, adding:

“We want to know how we should participate in international discussions of these issues.”

Moving forward, the NTIA has opted to receive comments on its “inquiry on international internet policy priorities”  until July 2 via a dedicated contact channel.

The move continues a steadily emerging theme for the Department of Commerce, which began discussing blockchain’s potential role in 2016.

Other branches of the agency have meanwhile sought to address cryptocurrency. In January of this year, a draft report by the Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology under the U.S. Department of Commerce  appeared to take a stance on the Bitcoin hard fork in August 2017 that created Bitcoin Cash.