U.S. gives up some controls of Internet
By Nextgov
Facing international pressure, the U.S. government has agreed to give up control over important technical aspects of the Internet.
The Commerce Department will no longer oversee the Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers, a nonprofit group that manages the Internet’s address system.
Larry Strickling, the assistant secretary of Commerce for communications and information, said the “global Internet community” will have the final say over the database of names and addresses that allows computers around the world to communicate with each other.
The Internet was invented in the United States, and the country has long maintained a central role. But as the Internet has grown, other countries have demanded a greater voice in its governance.
Edward Snowden’s leaks about the National Security Agency’s mass-surveillance programs have exacerbated resentment over the central role of the United States in managing the Internet.