The head of the private agency that acts as gatekeeper for the Internet called Tuesday for international discussions to ensure control of the web remains decentralised.

Fadi Chehade, president and CEO of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), called for the "preservation of a decentralised, transnational and not too fragmented governance" of the Internet.

He told a Geneva conference that the Internet should remain "polycentric" but that the private and public sectors should work together.

"Only initiatives involving the private sector and governments can successfully and effectively address crucial issues like cybercrime, taxation of e-commerce, and child protection," Chehade said.

ICANN, which is in charge of assigning domain names, is likely to break free of US oversight late next year.

Washington said in March it might not renew its contract with the Los Angeles-based agency, provided a new oversight system is in place that ensures the Internet addressing structure is reliable.

"ICANN is not and shall not be an island disconnected from other stakeholders," Chehade said.

The agency plans to submit a proposal on oversight to the US Department of Commerce next year.

In an interview published Tuesday in Swiss daily Le Temps, Chehade said the role of the United States -- one of ICANN's 147 member countries -- would remain important.

"If our DNA remains American, our openness to the world is a reality."

US Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker pledged at a meeting of Internet leaders in October that the United States would "protect and preserve a free, vibrant and open Internet".

Pritzker said that while the United States might not renew its contract with ICANN, it still had a responsibility to encourage a decentralised Internet.

"The United States will not allow the global Internet to be co-opted by any person, entity, or nation seeking to substitute their parochial world view for the collective wisdom of this community," she said.

Amnesty feels 'chill' from China Internet meeting
Shanghai (AFP) Nov 18, 2014 - Rights group Amnesty International on Tuesday described a major Chinese-organised Internet conference as chilling, calling it an attempt to have a greater say in the rules that govern the web.

The Chinese government has set up the World Internet Conference in Wuzhen this week with the theme "An Interconnected World Shared and Governed by All", according to its website.

"China appears eager to promote its own domestic Internet rules as a model for global regulation. This should send a chill down the spine of anyone that values online freedom," William Nee, China researcher at London-based Amnesty, said in a statement.

"China's Internet model is one of extreme control and suppression," he said.

China censors online content it deems to be politically sensitive, while blocking some Western media websites and the services of Internet giants including Facebook, Twitter and Google.

GreatFire.org, which monitors banned websites and keywords in China, said Tuesday that Beijing had just blocked "thousands" of sites using subdomains of edgecastcdn.net, which it described as one of the world's largest content delivery networks.

The World Internet Conference, which begins Wednesday, says it aims to "promote the development of (the) Internet to be the global shared resource for human solidarity and economic progress".

A session on "Constructing a Peaceful, Safe, Open and Cooperative Cyberspace" is described as closed-door and for invited guests only.

Some journalists registered to attend the conference were sent notices on Monday laying down rules for reporting.

"If the conference has not arranged an interactive session, please do not ask questions or interview at the scene," it said, adding: "During the meeting please do not walk about at will within the venue."

Asked to clarify the rules, a media contact said foreign journalists could apply to interview conference delegates beforehand through its official website.

Foreign participants in the conference include representatives of chip maker Qualcomm and professional networking site LinkedIn, according to the event website.

Jack Ma, founder of e-commerce giant Alibaba which recently listed on the New York Stock Exchange, is also an invited guest.