Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has always been identified as an arm of the United States Government, even though it had always pointed out being completely independent. This association, though not very strong, was still an aggravating factor to non-US entities, especially when it came to domain name regulations. To rule out a possible US Government influenced operation, ICANN is set to receive a greater self-sufficiency.

ICANN was initially set up to handle and standardize all domain name related activities online, away from any involvement of the US Government. Despite this, ICANN maintained some degree of association with the government, which led to criticism and massive opposition to such affiliation. Bulk of this came from overseas entities, which saw the association as a “bit too much”.
The Joint Project Agreement was initially drawn up to dictate the relationship between the United States Government and ICANN. This agreement, however, is set to end and a new agreement put up in its place, which provides ICANN with more independence, while distributing the responsibility to other stakeholders in the domain name industry.

The new panel, appointed by this new agreement, will be based on a seat system that will involve more countries apart for US in governing ICANN operations. This new arrangement comes in an opportune time when ICANN is trying to open up more top level domains to the general audience. This will allow ICANN to make decisions which involve the input of more stakeholders. Let us wait and see how this new move affects the current status of the domaining industry. What are your thoughts on this new agreement?

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