U.S. Commerce Department to Extend Oversight of ICANN

US COMMERCE DEPARTMENT TO EXTEND OVERSIGHT OF ICANN
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: Dan Caterinicchia]
The U.S. Commerce Department told Congress Wednesday it will extend its oversight of the California organization that handles domain name policies, while finding ways to improve the group's accountability and transparency. John Kneuer, the department's acting assistant secretary for communications and information, said the government's current agreement with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers works and should continue. Commerce plans to renew a memorandum of understanding with ICANN, but it will likely add provisions designed to address complaints that the group is sometimes too secret and makes decisions that don't reflect the Internet community at large, Kneuer said. The current agreement expires at the end of the month, but neither Kneuer nor Paul Twomey, ICANN's president and chief executive, provided details about the length of such an extension or about any changes.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/INTERNET_GOVERNANCE?SITE=TXGAL&SE...

* Testimony of John M. R. Kneuer
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/congress/2006/Kneuer_ICANNoversight_092...

* U.S. government to keep control of Web domain group ICANN
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=internetNews&storyID...