- Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) manage allocation of IP addresses but have limited enforcement authority over how resources are used or reclaimed
- Incidents such as governance disputes at AFRINIC illustrate the operational and legal challenges facing RIRs when their authority is contested
RIRs’ limited authority over internet address governance
Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) are non-profit organisations responsible for allocating and registering Internet number resources such as IP addresses and autonomous system numbers within defined regions of the world.
Despite this critical role, RIRs inherently do not wield strong enforcement powers over how the addresses they allocate are ultimately used. Their authority is primarily administrative: they maintain registration databases, distribute address blocks based on demonstrated need and develop regional policies through bottom-up, consensus-driven processes.
RIRs obtain the numerical resources they administer from the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), which allocates from the global pool. Once an address block is allocated to an organisation, the RIR’s leverage is limited. They cannot impose financial penalties, enforce returns of unused blocks, or directly compel a network operator to stop using an address range. Their typical “remedy” for misuse is to cease recognition of a holder’s registry records, which may influence service providers to stop routing traffic but does not physically remove the addresses from the network.
One structural reason for this lack of authority is that RIRs operate as independent, membership-based organisations. They are governed by member-elected boards and develop policies through open community involvement rather than by fiat. This makes them more flexible and responsive to network operators, but less powerful compared with regulatory agencies with statutory enforcement powers.
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Case study: Governance disputes at AFRINIC
The limits of RIR authority have manifested in real-world disputes. In the case of AFRINIC, the RIR responsible for Africa, governance and legal challenges from 2021 to 2022 drew attention to the fragility of an organisation that lacks clear mechanisms to enforce policy or address internal conflict.
During this period, legal action and internal leadership disputes slowed operations and raised concerns about downstream effects on resource management and confidence in the registry system. The absence of external regulatory oversight meant that resolving these issues relied heavily on internal processes rather than on any coercive legal authority.
This example highlights how the RIR system’s strength — its bottom-up, community-driven model — can also create vulnerabilities when disagreements emerge that cannot be resolved through consensus or stakeholder engagement alone.
Implications for internet governance and stability
The lack of formal enforcement power for RIRs has significant implications for the stability and governance of internet infrastructure. Their bottom-up policy model allows internet service providers, technical experts and civil society to shape how number resources are managed, a structure that has supported the internet’s long-term growth.
However, RIRs cannot impose binding penalties or compel compliance. As a result, issues such as address hoarding, inefficient use and unresolved disputes can persist. This is particularly evident in legacy address allocations made before the RIR system existed, which cannot be reclaimed unless holders voluntarily agree to new contractual terms.
Because RIRs are independent and self-funded, they also lack the statutory authority of national regulators, complicating coordination when misuse or cross-border disputes arise. This leaves RIRs operating primarily as administrative coordinators rather than enforcement bodies, raising broader questions about whether the current separation between technical management and regulatory power remains sustainable.
