icann
ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, is a nonprofit public-benefit corporation that coordinates the global Internet’s system of unique identifiers, including the Domain Name System (DNS), the allocation of IP address space, and protocol parameter registries. It was established in 1998 to transition the coordination of these identifiers from the U.S. government to a private-sector–led, multi-stakeholder framework. ICANN operates through a multistakeholder model that brings together representatives from governments, civil society, the private sector, technical communities, and end users to develop policy through inclusive, bottom‑up processes.
ICANN’s core activities include coordinating the IANA functions, which oversee the DNS root zone, IP address
In 2016, the United States completed the IANA stewardship transition, transferring oversight of the IANA functions