Who Governs the Internet?

Basically, no one has ultimate control over the Internet. In other words, it operates without a central governing body. This is simply due to the fact that the Internet is made up from voluntarily connected networks. However, there is one corporation called the Internet Corporation for Assigning Numbers and Names (ICANN) which has more control over one aspect of the internet than any other. Click here Who governs the Internet?

ICANN is the international, self-governing body tasked with the authority to assign and control domain names and Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. The US government also has a role in controlling this system. Unfortunately, there are some issues on the Internet that ICANN had no authority over, such as pornography, gambling, and offensive writing. Click here Who governs the Internet?
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Up till today, there is no one particular organization that has complete control or authority over the Internet. It is still governed by 3 volunteer groups:

Internet Activities Board (IAB)  - consists of Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and Internet Research Task Force (IRTF). IETF is responsible to develop and maintain Internet’s communication protocols, addresses problems and coordinates new services. IRTF is looks into long-term research problems that could be critical in five or ten years' time.

Internet Network Information Center (InterNic) provides various registry services needed for the Internet to operate effectively.
 

World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is a joint initiative between the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the European Council for Nuclear Research (or its French acronym: Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire, CERN), andthe National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control (or its French acronym: Institut national de recherche en informatique et en automatique, INRIA) to develop standards for the evolution of the web.

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Reference(s):

Shailendra Sial. (n.d.). Who governs the Internet? Retrieved Feb 6, 2011, from http://ezinearticles.com/?Who-Governs-the-Internet?&id=2002524

Who governs the Internet? (n.d.). Retrieved Feb 6, 2011, from http://www.webfaq.co.uk/#22

Who governs the Internet? (Aug 9, 2004). Retrieved Feb 6, 2011, from  http://www.w3concepts.com/w3Main/GoverningTheNet.htm