I was rather surprised to stumble across an article on the BBC today, given it seems to me to be a big deal but I hadn't heard a whisper about it.
For years, the rest of the world has been grumbling about the fact that the US has retained close control over ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, which assigns top-level domains and IP address blocks. This has allowed the US to retain control over the very core of the internet.
Apparently, no longer!
According to the BBC, the Obama administration, rather than continuing the "Joint Project Agreement" which kept oversight of ICANN in American hands, has instead signed an "affirmation of commitments" granting the body autonomy and giving the world internet community the oversight role.
Reaction seems to have been positive, as one would expect:
"It's a beautifully historic day," Rod Beckstrom, Icann's head, told BBC News.
The European Commission, which has long been critical of Icann's alliance with the US government, welcomed the new deal.
"Internet users worldwide can now anticipate that Icann's decisions...will be more independent and more accountable, taking into account everyone's interests," said Viviane Reding, European Commissioner for information society and media.