US loosens grip on running of internet

The EU yesterday hailed a decision by the US government to back down and grant full autonomy by 2009 to the not-for-profit organisation that manages internet domain names.

Almost a year after Nations Urge U.S. to Cede Internet Control, the Commerce Department agreed Friday to loosen its control over the agency that manages the Internet address system, a move that experts called a big step toward private-sector control.