There was a recent article in the NYT that announced the US Commerce Department has agreed to loosen its control over Icann, the California-based agency that manages the Internet address system. While I knew that the US Government was heavily involved in the development of the internet, I had no idea they still had so much control. Apparently, the US government still has veto power over the agency, who's activities have been kept as a relatively private matter between the agency and the US government.
Under the latest agreement, Icann will start filing an annual report addressed to the Internet community at large, rather than reporting to the Commerce Department every six months as it did previously. The US Government is also to move towards an advisory role as other international governements currently do through Icann’s government advisory committee. It will be interesting to see in the months that come if Icann really does begin to operate autonomously or if the recent actions by the Commerce Department were only taken to give the appearance that the US government is relinquishing its control.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/30/technology/30icann.html?_r=1&ref=technology&oref=slogin
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