Good ideas and conversation. No ads, no tracking. Login or Take a Tour!
- America’s role in administering the internet’s phone book is a wonkish delight, but also highly symbolic. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which unites all those with a direct interest in the smooth running of the network (internet-service providers, governments, users and so on) does most of the work. But the approval of the commerce department is still required in certain areas, including changes that affect the “root file” of the internet’s domain-name system—a vestige of the history of the internet, which started as a project of America’s Department of Defence.