US hands Internet control to ICANN

At midnight last Friday, the United States handed over the control of the internet's domain system (IANA) — to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

The handover follows an unsuccessful last-minute attempt by four states' Republican attorneys general to block the transition. A federal judge shot down their temporary injunction request, which centered around the notion that the US was "giving away government property" and required Congressional approval to give up ICANN.

ICANN said Saturday that the handoff would ensure an open internet.

"This transition was envisioned 18 years ago, yet it was the tireless work of the global internet community, which drafted the final proposal, that made this a reality," ICANN Board Chair Stephen D. Crocker said in a statement. "This community validated the multistakeholder model of internet governance. It has shown that a governance model defined by the inclusion of all voices, including business, academics, technical experts, civil society, governments and many others is the best way to assure that the internet of tomorrow remains as free, open and accessible as the internet of today."

Read more -here-