Which organization is responsible for internet protocol standards?

The organization responsible for internet protocol standards is the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). The IETF is a large open international community of network designers, operators, vendors, and researchers concerned with the evolving architecture of the internet and the smooth operation of the Internet. This group is primarily tasked with developing and promoting voluntary internet standards, particularly standards that comprise the internet protocol suite (TCP/IP).

The IETF produces RFCs (Requests for Comments), which document the specifications and standards related to internet protocols. The collaborative nature of the IETF allows it to gather diverse perspectives from various stakeholders, ensuring that the standards developed are robust, practical, and in line with current technological needs.

While other organizations, such as ICANN and IANA, have pivotal roles in the management of internet resources, including domain names and IP address allocation, their primary focuses are different. The W3C, on the other hand, is dedicated to web standards and technologies, such as HTML and CSS, rather than the underlying internet protocols that the IETF addresses.