ICANN, Regulators Clash Over Illegal Online Drug Sales

The Internet Corp. for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is the closest thing the freewheeling Internet has to a regulator, but the agency’s powers are limited.

It manages technical functions that help the Web operate by allowing computers to locate the correct servers and websites. ICANN also oversees roughly 1,100 registrars that sell Web addresses -- and collects about one-third of its operating expenses from those firms. Because of its central role, regulators and law-enforcement agencies around the world say ICANN could be crucial to their crackdown on illicit Internet operators of all kinds. ICANN officials also say the organization does everything it can to prevent or stop illegal activity online. Critics misunderstand ICANN ‘s role and the limits of its power, the organization’s top officials say.