US heads for internet showdown

Is the US controlling the Internet? Should the US control the Internet? The UN's World Summit and the Information Society will likely end up covering these questions and many more.

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A California-based non-profit created by the Clinton Administration in 1998, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann) is charged with making sure that these networks talk to each other.

The organisation says its job is technical, making sure that web addresses take surfers to the right site.

What Icann does not do is "run" or "control" the internet, according to Theresa Swinehart, General Manager for Global Partnerships at Icann.

"Actually, nobody runs or controls the internet single-handedly. It is multiple parties, multiple businesses, users, and networks connecting to this. All these different groups, organizations and companies have a responsibility."

But Icann operates under a memorandum of understanding with the US Department of Commerce. To some, that looks like American control of the internet.

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[BBC News]