(Telecompaper) The US government has given into international pressure to cede its control over the internet domain name organisation Icann. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration, part of the US Department of Commerce, said it intends "to transition key internet domain name functions to the global multistakeholder community". It has asked Icann to lead international talks on a new organisational model, to end the NTIA's role in overseeing the global domain name system (DNS). The announcement follows calls from the EU to Brazil that the US reduce its influence over the global internet, especially in light of the revelations of widespread communications surveillance by US intelligence authorities. Under a contract with Icann, the NTIA handles procedures such as administering changes to the authoritative root zone file the database containing the lists of names and addresses of all top-level domains as well as serving as the "historic steward" of the DNS. Icann already has a working group set up that is developing proposals to increase multistakeholder governance of the organisation. The group's final recommendations are expected in May.