When using the internet, there is an important tool which pairs a web address to its respective server. This tool is called the Domain Naming System (DNS) and without it we would have to access websites by typing their IP address.

Until now the DNS had always been controlled by the United States. However, after almost 20 years in control of this crucial part of the internet's governance, the US is ready to give up its power to Icann- the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers.

Icann is a non-profit organisation with which the US had made this agreement in 2014. However, it was just now that the US felt that it could make the change which will occur officially on 1^st October 2016. Icann had been created in 1998 to assign web addresses. Until then, this job had been done by just one man - Jon Postel.

This change should not be noticed by the internet users as Icann has been doing this job for years. However, the move was criticised by some American senators who were concerned about the fact that the system will no longer be protected by the United States. They were also worried about foreign governments that could gaining more power over the internet.

Although the United States have decided to give up this power voluntarily, there were countries like China and Russia who had asked the United Nations to take control of the DNS under the United Nations' International Telecommunication Union. This had been discussed in 2012 but the United States together with the UK, Canada and Australia had shown their concern about abuse of human rights by those who would have a greater say on the internet. For this reason, the US had preferred to choose Icann.