The US government has relaxed its control over how the internet is run.
It has signed a four-page “affirmation of commitments” with the net regulator Icann, giving the body autonomy for the first time.
Previous agreements gave the US close oversight of Icann – drawing criticism from other countries and groups.
The new agreement comes into effect on 1 October, exactly 40 years since the first two computers were connected on the prototype of the net.
“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.
‘Global system’
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann) is a not-for-profit private sector corporation – set up by the US government – to oversee critical parts of the internet, such as the top-level domain (TLD) name system. Top level domains include .com and .uk.
Since its inception in 1998, it has periodically signed accords – known collectively as the Joint Project Agreement (JPA) – with the US Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration.