The Internet is a worldwide network that connects computer networks and allows them to transmit data using the Internet Protocol. It was developed in the late 1960s by the U.S. Department of Defense to enable communication between researchers. The first message was sent over ARPANET in 1969. By the 1990s, use of the Internet exploded and its management was transferred to independent organizations in 1995. Now it is used worldwide for communication, information sharing, commerce, and social networking.