US to Cede Its Control Over Internet

The end of an Internet era is near: The US plans to give up its control over the group that manages domain names and Web addresses, reports the Washington Post. The long-planned move means that the Commerce Department does not plan to renew its contract with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers when it expires in the fall of 2015, reports AP. That could change if the transition isn't ready. Generally speaking, the decision will please those who think the US has too much sway over the Internet, especially in the wake of the NSA spying revelations, though some US businesses will worry about stability, reports the Wall Street Journal.

Or worse, as seen in a tweet by Newt Gingrich: “What is the global internet community that Obama wants to turn the internet over to? This risks foreign dictatorships defining the internet.” At Gizmodo, Adam Clark Estes says not to worry. "Netflix isn't going to suddenly shut down this weekend, and you can still register new domains to your heart's content," he writes. "What happens now is leaders from around the world will start the conversation and come up with some sort of compromise." It won't be the UN that takes over, but a new international group could be created for the job, he adds. (More internet stories.)