The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is considering a proposal for a .xxx top level domain (TLD). It’s a situation that has been on again off again for more than six years.
A revised agreement for the administration of the .xxx registry by vendor
ICM Registry is now available for a public
comment period that is open until Feb. 5. The revised agreement
follows a May
2006 agreement that was voted down nine to five by the ICANN
board.
The new agreement, which spans some 94 pages, includes additional terms that
are intended to help prevent spam and ensure that content is clearly labeled, as well as make sure certain religious or culturally sensitive names are not registered.
The revised agreement also specifies that ICM Registry will, “provide
financial support for child safety organizations and to sponsor development
of technology to enhance the ability of Internet users to control their
online experience.”
So far the reaction to the new agreement has been mixed.
The public comment
forum includes both those that approve and disapprove in almost equal
numbers. It’s hardly a surprise considering that disagreement and
controversy have surrounded the .xxx domain for years.
The first
attempt at the .xxx registry was rejected in November 2000. In June 2005, ICANN announced it had begun
negotiating with the ICM Registry for the creation of the .xxx sponsored
top-level domain (sTLD).
In September 2005 the U.S.
Department of Commercestepped in and helped to delay the decision on .xxx until May 2006 when it was voted down.
