ICANN to undergo transparency review

A U.K. governance organization will review The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) as it tries to increase transparency after criticism of its close U.S. government ties.

The report from One World Trust will be made public when it's completed next year, said Paul Levins, ICANN's executive officer and vice president of corporate affairs.

ICANN, a private, nonprofit organization that controls the administration of the DNS (domain name system), is reworking its accountability practices, Levins said.

"Frankly, the community has told us this is an issue we need to deal with," Levins said.

In October, ICANN started a consultation to develop new management operating principles, Levins said. ICANN also plans to document its board meetings better and revamp its Web site to make its 12,000 pages more accessible.

The organization, based in Marina del Ray, California, falls under the oversight of the U.S. Commerce Department, which has led to criticism that the U.S. government wielded too much influence over the Internet's development.

In September, an existing agreement between the department and ICANN was extended for three years, although the U.S. government could grant ICANN total autonomy after 18 months.