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The head of the Internet regulator says a push from China and Russia for governments to control the web will be dead on arrival but that he hopes a consensus will emerge before the US cedes its oversight role. Fadi Chehade, chief executive of the US-linked Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), said Washington is committed to hand over the reins only to a diverse group representing business, civil society, academia and governments. The US Department of Commerce has said it will next year relinquish control over ICANN, which controls Internet website addresses globally, as part of longstanding efforts to privatise the running of the web. But it warned that if the US deems the replacement oversight model unacceptable, it has the prerogative to continue its stewardship role and renew ICANNs contract for a further four years.