Britain backs US decision to transfer control of internet domain name system

LONDON (Xinhua) - Britain will support the United States over the latter's decision to transfer the US control of the internet's domain name system into a "multi-stakeholder" process, the British Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has announced.

The US government announced earlier this month it planned to relinquish its control of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) that manages domain names for the Internet.

The US government has asked ICANN to develop a plan for the transition to a multi-stakeholder process.

ICANN has managed and coordinated the Internet's address system since 1998 pursuant to a contract from the US government that expires on Sept. 30, 2015.

"The time is right move towards transferring responsibility for the internet's domain name system into an open and transparent multi-stakeholder process which is fully accountable to the global Internet community," said Ed Vaizey, British Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries.

ICANN will hold its 50th public meeting of global stakeholders in London in June this year, according to the DCMS.