The international internet governing body ICANN today celebrates its 9th birthday, having taken over the regulation of the core of the internet in 1998. ICANN has always been considered a somewhat controversial entity, because its members are not elected, and yet it makes important decisions about the management of the internet. ICANN has recently come under criticism for rejecting proposals for a .xxx top-level domain aimed at adult websites, which some have said was a moral decision that the body had no right to make.

The body is also notoriously bureaucratic, with dozes of confusingly-named committees which must be consulted before new decisions can be made. There are worries, though, that parts of the body will be outsourced, which some fear will lead to bias. Nevertheless, the company continues to improve its transparency and accountability, as well as making various attempts, some more successful than others, to include the general public in the decision-making process.