At an Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) summit in Marrakech, Morocco, earlier this month, an important step was taken towards addressing an issue that has taken centre stage in recent years: Internet governance. It is a thorny issue, made thornier yet by opposing tensions—Edward Snowden’s 2013 revelations causing a backlash against perceptions of US control of the Internet’s architecture; growing security concerns about terrorism perpetrated by non-state actors, reiterated last week by telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and underscored in tragic fashion in Brussels; the Internet’s transformative role in economic growth and espousing democratic rights, both dependent on its untrammelled nature. These tensions will not vanish with the upcoming move towards a multi-stakeholder model, championed, among others, by India.