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Speculative theory
Internet DNS root controlAtlas
Conventions & Standards · Standards & protocol politics
ICANN coordinates policy and technical management functions related to the DNS root zone and Internet unique identifiers. Control and stewardship of the DNS root have been subjects of international Internet-governance debate, including questions about residual U.S. government oversight versus multistakeholder administration.
Open the caseDomain Name System4
- Documented · DNS hijacking campaigns have abused trust placed in core Internet name-resolution infrastructure.
- Documented · DNS root service is distributed through many physical server instances using anycast to increase redundancy and geographic diversity.
- Documented · Thirteen logical DNS root server identities exist and are operated by a mix of independent organizations.
- Contested · Control and stewardship of the DNS root have been subjects of international Internet-governance debate, including questions about residual U.S. government oversight versus multistakeholder administration.
DNS root servers1
- Documented · DNS root servers are widely described as critical Internet infrastructure because almost all public name resolution depends on the root.
DNS root zone1
- Documented · The DNS root zone is the highest level of the Domain Name System hierarchy and holds the authoritative data for top-level domains.
ICANN1
- Documented · ICANN coordinates policy and technical management functions related to the DNS root zone and Internet unique identifiers.
Other2
- Documented · Root zone management involves distinct operational roles, including maintenance of root zone data and operation of root name servers.
- Official · The U.S. National Telecommunications and Information Administration announced an intention to transition key Internet domain name functions to the global multistakeholder community.