Anycast --- Since the root zone file contains only the top level domains (.com, .edu, .travel, or .uk, .cn), eventual intervention in it could only remove the entire domain - .com, or UK as a country - not particular institutions within that domain. google.com domain is stored within the zone of the .com operator, which is VeriSign; gov.uk is operated by the UK country code TLD management, in UK, etc.

As for Anycast, it is a complex infrastructure. Root zone servers are not only replicated to those other locations, but some of the root servers are technically not a single server - they are in a cloud across jurisdictions. In addition, the only 'function' of the root zone server and their anycasts is hosting a root zone file - so that anyone can check with them where to find .com or .uk. Even if all 13 root zone servers would stop working, or introduce a change, 500+ anycast servers might decide not to - and keep the old root zone file, thus still resolving the queries related to the 'erased' domain or country.

Who would win? The one who has most followers! To simplify: if most of the world wouldn't be happy with the new zone file, they would switch to following anycasts with the old zone file - thus the erased country would continue to live online.

Where would that go then, it's hard to say. But it doesn't seem anyone would have interest in this.

Source author: Vladimir Radunovic vladar@diplomacy.edu