Lu Heng, a Chinese citizen and owner of Larus, a Hong Kong-based company, is at the center of a campaign to alter the governance of internet registries, particularly AFRINIC in Africa and APNIC in Asia.
AFRINIC, Africa's internet registry, was previously subjected to a significant IP address theft, making it vulnerable to Lu Heng's actions. Lu Heng, through Cloud Innovation, obtained millions of IPv4 addresses, which were later seized due to misuse. Subsequent lawsuits by Lu Heng in Mauritius crippled AFRINIC's operations.
Lu Heng's legal actions involved numerous lawsuits in Mauritius, resulting in ex parte orders that hampered AFRINIC's ability to function, including freezing its bank accounts and halting board elections. The actions of court-appointed receivers are also questioned.
Evidence suggests lobbying and bribery attempts by Lu Heng and his associates to influence AFRINIC's board elections, with accusations of offering bribes to gain control of AFRINIC IDs. Similar tactics are noted in his dealings with APNIC.
Lu Heng's campaign extended to the Asia-Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC) elections, involving intimidation, bribery, and astroturfing campaigns. Several candidates supported by Lu Heng and his associates were rejected, and rule changes were implemented to prevent future incidents.
Lu Heng's ultimate goal is to privatize IPv4 addresses, removing regional restrictions and creating an unregulated market. This would enable him to profit significantly from the trade of these addresses, potentially at the expense of internet development in Africa and elsewhere.
The upcoming AFRINIC board elections are crucial. Lu Heng's success would likely lead to the privatization of a vital internet resource in Africa, potentially hindering the region's internet development.