About Technology – US relaxes grip on the internet

About Technology –

Icann oversees the structure of the net

The US government has relaxed its control over how the internet is run.

The US has signed a four-page "affirmation of commitments" with the net regulator Icann, giving the body autonomy for the first time.

Previous agreements gave the US close oversight of Icann – drawing criticism from other countries and groups.

The new agreement comes into effect on 1 October, exactly 40 years since the first two computers were connected on the prototype of the net.

"It’s a beautifully historic day," Rod Beckstrom, Icann’s head, told BBC News.