ICANN makes .xxx extinct
Posted on 30 Mar 2007 at 16:36
The board of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has rejected a bid to create an adult .xxx top level domain (TLD).
Campaigners argue that the TLD will make websites with sexual content easier to filter out for those that don't want to view it, and easier to find for those that do.
However the ICANN board concluded its meeting today rejecting the notion. Adoption of .xxx would cause it concerns over the protecting the vulnerable and raises law enforcement issues because of the varying legislation within different countries.
It feels that these issues would mean its remit is extended to the management and oversight of Internet content, rather than the strictly technical role it currently maintains.
'This decision was the result of very careful scrutiny and consideration of all the arguments. That consideration has led a majority of the Board to believe that the proposal should be rejected,' said Dr Vint Cerf, Chairman of ICANN.
'I thank my fellow Board members and the community for their input,' Dr Cerf said.
ICANN said it received 'unprecedented public comment' on the issue.
The bid for .xxx has been in motion since the end of 2003 when ICANN introduced the notion of a sponsored TLD to address clearly defined communities.
In March 2004, ICM Registry submitted an application for the .xxx TLD. The project progressed until in May 2006 a revised draft for the TLD failed in a ballot, but ICM came up with a new version and negotiations were renewed. Expectation of today's rejection caused the European Union to accuse the US of interfering with the way the Internet is run.
Author: Matt Whipp
advertisement
- ATI Radeon HD 5970: 42% more expensive in the UK
- Office 2010 Beta – 32-bit or 64-bit – The Choice is Clear
- Why Britain's watchdogs have fewer teeth than goldfish
- Tabbed documents: how to make Office 2010 great
- Outlook 2010 People Pane – does it spell death to Xobni
- Microsoft Outlook 2010 screenshots
- Co-Authoring in Word 2010 and SharePoint Foundation 2010
- Microsoft Outlook 2010 screenshots: Backstage view
- Flash 10.1: Developing for Desktop and Device
- Microsoft Office 2010 screenshots: Recover unsaved items
- Getting to grips with Microsoft's IT Health Environment Scanner
- Virtualise your servers
- The changing face of travel gadgets
- Build your own distributed file system
- The bulletproof Dell that costs an arm and a leg
- Microsoft Office 2010 Technical Preview: Q&A
- Lawnmowers, the TyTN II and one odd insurance request
- There'll never be a bulletproof OS
- How far can we trust apps?
- Five nice touches in Outlook 2010
advertisement
Printed from www.pcpro.co.uk


