The US government is moving toward a more open stance on internet governance

The US government has signalled its intent to loosen its control over internet domain name system oversight body Icann, after a public meeting was held last week by the National Telecommunications and Information Adminstration (NTIA), the presidential advisory body for internet and other matters.

Last July, many in the industry were surprised when US Assistant Commerce Secretary Michael Gallagher announced that the Bush administration would “continue to provide oversight so that Icann maintains its focus and meets its core technical mission”. Just days later a United Nations Working Group on Internet Governance called for an end to the US government’s “pre-eminent role” in the management of the internet.

Critics have said that US control of Icann has served to undermine the neutrality of the internet, and some blamed the government’s influence on the oversight body for the latter’s last minute veto of the .xxx top level domain for pornography.

But according to Emily Taylor, head of legal and policy at .uk registry Nominet, who was one of only two non-US speakers invited to attend, the fact that the meeting was held at all is “incredibly positive”.

“It shows a change in the mindset from where the US government was this time last year,” she explained. “The NTIA has done two things; published a questionnaire eliciting 700 responses about its role, and it has held this public meeting, [where] John Kneuer [acting NTIA administrator] renewed the government’s commitment to transition Icann to a privatised model.”