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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

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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.